The Lost Son of War
by Deltree
Summary: In an alternate universe where Elfangor never died and the Animorphs never gained the morphing power, Tobias is about to have his whole world rocked. Who knew a trip to the lawyer's office could be this exciting?
1. Prologue: Pilot Down

Title: The Lost Son of War

Pairings: Rachel/Tobias, Jake/Cassie

Disclaimer: I don't own Animorphs or the characters. I do own the two Andalites Maril and Erithin.

Summary: In an alternate universe where Elfangor never died and the Animorphs never gained the morphing power, Tobias is about to have his whole world rocked. Who knew a trip to the lawyer's office could be this exciting?

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Prologue: Pilot Down

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When the Andalite Dome ship had come out of Z-space they had expected maybe a few Yeerk Bug fighters., a dozen at most, and had so sent a number of fighter pilots according to that estimate. But they had underestimated the Yeerk forces on the blue and green planet orbiting below them and had been severely outnumbered. The Dome ship had been hit and was currently falling to pieces as the fighter pilots continued to fight a losing battle.

(Fighter 2! Come in Fighter 2!) Elfangor yelled as he attempted to swerve his ship out of the way of an incoming Bug fighter.

(This is Fighter 2) a voice answered faintly, as if from far away. There was an undercurrent of panic to the thought-voice that was just barely kept under control as he continued, (I've been hit. Losing engine power and going down.)

(What about Fighter 10?) Elfangor tried, needing to know that he at least had some fighters still out there. In front of him, a Bug fighter swerved into view and shot a Dracon beam in his direction. He just barely swerved out of the way in time and returned fire, hitting the side of the Bug fighter where the engine was usually kept. It burst into flames and fell away only to be replaced by two more. (Fighter 6?) he shouted as he tried to dodge a simultaneous shot from the two Bug fighters. One shot hit his ship and he was thrown forward into the controls only to regain control of his ship in barely enough time to maneuver it successfully out of the way of the next blast. The shot had probably scorched a dark line on the outside of his ship but that was little damage compared to what it could have been.

(This is Fighter 12) came the answer, but not from whom he had expected. He thought he'd seen Fighter 12 go down in flames at the very beginning but apparently not. (Fighter 10 is gone and I last saw Fighter 6 going down hard. What are your orders?)

Elfangor thought fast. Everything was confusion. He couldn't see any of his men. All he could see was the ocean of Bug fighters still approaching and he knew that his small forces couldn't take them. Maybe if the Dome ship had still been active, but from what he'd last seen of that ship he couldn't expect any help from them. He thought fleetingly of his younger brother Aximili who had probably been in the Dome part of the ship when it went down and was probably now dead, but that thought passed quickly in lieu of the present fight. What could he do? (Retreat! I order all surviving forces to retreat now!)

And with that, Elfangor followed his own orders and turned tail and fled the scene. The important thing wasn't to go down fighting, it was to stay alive to fight another day. The Yeerks could have this battle.

But the Yeerks wanted more than this battle. They wanted every Andalite force dead and so they chased after Elfangor and his men even as they retreated.

Dodging a blast from a Dracon beam, Elfangor attempted to lose his three followers, dodging this way and that. Turning around momentarily, he shot two of the three out of the sky, but then had to turn back to his entry into the Earth's atmosphere, having to slow some as he started his descent.

Tearing through the sky toward the dark side of the planet, the remaining Bug fighter kept on his tail, shooting blasts that Elfangor did his best to dodge. One hit the back of his ship and the right engine burst into flame. That would make his descent somewhat harder, but he could still do it. Remembering at the last moment to flick on his cloaking device so that no Yeerks or humans could detect him, he swerved left and skimmed the clouds in the sky. The burnt out engine was causing him problems and he moved in jotting bursts. Attempting to get as far as possible he eventually fell from the sky and crashed into the floor of a meadow.

Thrown off his hooves and into the computer, the whole ship rocked violently, turning over on itself so that Elfangor bounced off the computer and fell down onto the ceiling, which was now the floor, and lay there for a few moments, dazed. Eventually, he got control of his limbs, the necessity of movement making him push past the pain in his entire body.

Slowly, painfully slowly, he climbed to his hooves and took stock. He was bleeding from a head wound just below his left eye-stalk, which was broken, and he probably had some broken ribs, but he would survive. His ship would not. The force of the landing had crushed half of it and the other half would be useless without the first half. No matter. First he had to survive the Yeerks and then he could worry about how he would get back up into space.

Hearing the sound of the Bug fighter that had been following him land neatly not too far away, Elfangor grabbed his shredder from the floor where it had fallen out of its drawer and went to the door, where he waited. Eventually the Controllers outside would get curious, maybe expecting him to be lying crushed on the floor of his own ship, and they would approach and then he would surprise them.

There was the sound of branches crunching under the foot of one of the Controllers and then the sound of hushed human voices coming from very close by. Finally one of the Controllers raised their voice and called out, "Andalite! We know you're in there! Come on out and we'll let you live!"

So they didn't know which Andalite they had. That was good. Elfangor knew that Visser Three personally had it out for him and he did not want to be alone with that monster while injured. He didn't answer their call.

They tried again. "Andalite scum! Come out peacefully or we'll shoot." The speaker's companion chuckled at this, which told Elfangor all he needed to know. They were going to shoot whether he came out peacefully or not. Not that he had any plans to come out of hiding.

Finally they grew impatient and curious and there came the sound of the two human Controllers approaching. "Is he even in there?" one asked as the other, a blonde human woman, stupidly peeked her head into the ship. Elfangor immediately shot his weapon, taking off the woman's head, and the other was instantly on alert. He jumped into the ship and began shooting wildly.

Elfangor, as quickly as he could with broken ribs, ducked out of the way of a shot and then another and then rushed forward at the Controller and swung his tail around faster then the human Controller could blink and lobbed off his head, but not before getting brushed by Dracon fire on his arms and left haunches.

The Controller dead, Elfangor mentally sighed in relief, dropping his shredder and turning to the task of quickly bandaging himself and then disappearing. His cloaking device wasn't working anymore so he would need to move fast before any other Yeerks could follow the path of Yeerk ship outside right to him.

And as he loped into the woods bordering the meadow, he had no clue how long it would be before he would see his home planet again.

--

TBC?


	2. Ch 1: My Name is Tobias

Title: The Lost Son of War

Disclaimer: I don't own Animorphs or the characters. I do own the two Andalites Maril and Erithin. Also there are lines in here that come straight from #23 The Pretender (such as Elfangor's letter) so those aren't mine either.

Pairings: Rachel/Tobias, Jake/Cassie

Summary: In an alternate universe where Elfangor never died and the Animorphs never gained the morphing power, Tobias is about to have his whole world rocked. Who knew a trip to the lawyer's office could be this exciting?

AN: Alright, just so you know, I am horrible at lawyer-speak and have never really received anything formally from a lawyer's office so please forgive the sad example of what I think a letter might look like from them. And one other thing—Do you think I need to change the title? Be honest. The other choices are _The Lost Son of War_ or _My Alien Nature_ or something like that.

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Chapter #1: My Name is Tobias

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My name is Tobias and what I'm about to tell you may be a little shocking. You may want to sit down for this. Yes, I mean you Mr. 6-Foot-I-Eat-Dweebs-Like-You-For-Breakfast because you know what? You aren't the most dangerous thing on this planet anymore.

They're called the Yeerks and they're evil parasitic slugs that take over your mind. You can't talk to your friends, you can't eat your favorite foods, you can't even smell your own nasty gym socks because they do it all for you. Sure, you're still in there, but as soon as they've gotten their slimy, disgusting little slug-selves into your ear you've just been demoted to observer status in your own head. You're made to watch as this slug tells _your_ parents it loves them, as this parasite fumbles the pass on _your _basketball team, as this disgusting, little slimy thing closes _your_ eyes and kisses _your_ girlfriend or boyfriend, and basically as this evil alien lives _your_ whole life for you. And don't think they're happy with just that. Oh no. They're laughing at everything you hold dear and tormenting you all the way. Like I said, they're evil.

And how do I know all this? Well I was almost one of them. I was _this_ close to hell on earth and barely escaped with my sanity intact. Because I am sane. This isn't just the ramblings of some madman in a loony bin somewhere who has somehow gotten a hold of a pen and paper and is writing this while huddled furtively in the corner of a padded cell. I am sane. Though if it makes you feel any better sometimes I do wonder about if this is all real.

Because sometimes this all just seems too Sci-fi for real life. Real life doesn't have 7-foot tall walking bladed monsters. Real life doesn't have centaurs with scorpion tails that turn out to be your father. In real life, I'm this sad little nobody, no real family, no friends, and bullies flocking to me like flies.

But then I look up from the pad of paper I'm writing this on and realize again that this really is happening. That that day in the lawyer's office really happened. That my life really has changed in weird and wonderful and terrifying ways.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. You have no idea what I'm talking about. I'm talking about all these aliens and invasions and you still don't even know who I am. I tell you my name is Tobias and you're expected to believe everything I say without even a little background information. Well I can't tell you anything more than my first name. I used to be called Tobias LePais, but I don't go by that anymore and anything else I could tell you would only help the Yeerks find me. And, needless to say, I don't want that. Nobody wants that.

But, I can tell you the story. The story about how little geeky old me became one of Earth's last defenses again the Yeerks. The story of the others who fight alongside me and teach me everything I need to know. The story of how I met my father and everything changed. It's a long story, a complex story full of heartache, love, and war, and, as a lot of good stories do, it all started with a letter.

--

When I come home from school, I always take the time to get the mail, as I know otherwise it just won't get taken in, and I sorted through this mail as I walked into the kitchen. As usual it was mostly all bills and junk mail, but, finding something addressed to me, I stopped. It was a letter from a lawyer's office, DeGroot & DeGroot, whoever they were. Throwing the rest of the mail on the kitchen counter for my uncle, I stared at the one envelope addressed to me for a long moment before sneaking a peek at my uncle in the next room. Seeing that he was asleep —actually drooling on his old, nearly falling apart, armchair, beer slipping from one lifeless hand to spill on the floor and remote held protectively in his lap—I decided to take the chance to sneak past him and head for the tiny cramped thing I dared to call my bedroom to open my letter in peace. I didn't want my uncle suddenly waking up and finding me with yet another reason to yell or throw things at me.

Getting to my room without incident, I sat on the edge of my bed and again took out the letter to stare at it some more. Truthfully I was a little afraid of what it had to say. What if I was being sued? I didn't think I'd done anything worthy of being sued for, but what else could they possibly want? I wasn't rich enough or important enough for them to waste their time on me for any other reason.

Finally I decided to stop stalling and resolutely tore into the envelope. Taking out the fancy stationary that was inside, the company's insignia embossed at the top of the page, I settled in to read the surprisingly short—for something from a lawyer's office at least—letter.

It said:

_To Mr. Tobias LePais,_

_It has come to our attention here at DeGroot & DeGroot that we are in possession of a document from a former client of ours that is to be heard by you, and your chosen legal counsel, alone on a previously specified date. The date for disclosure is _October 26, 2008_, the date of your 16__th__ birthday as was demanded under the specifications of the contract. We understand that this date is fast approaching and so we would ask for an audience with you on said date in order to go over some documents of especial note. _

_Signed,_

_Robert DeGroot_

_DeGroot & DeGroot Attorneys at Law_

Well, huh, was all I could think after reading that. So they had some documents for me? What could they be? Money maybe? Because if it was I should probably not tell my uncle about this.

But I would just have to wait to figure it out and so I went to bed that night still worrying over what the possible documents could be.

It was a whole two weeks before my birthday.

--

The next day I went to school as usual. Immediately as I stepped onto the bus I knew I was not going to have a good day. It was practically a vision. And I knew this because the only seats left on the bus were those in front of Brandon and his sidekick Hunchback.

Brandon was this huge guy, a linebacker on the football team and basically a roll of fat covered in muscles, who never got into trouble because of his position as a top athlete. He was a complete bastard, but not as bad as Hunchback, who didn't have a hunchback per se, but who always sat hunched over as if he had a bad stomachache and was protecting his stomach from any worse damage. Hunchback seemed to get a special pleasure out of watching kids littler than him writhe in pain. I had actually once caught him pulling wings off of flies and then laughing as the poor insect tried to get back up into the air and away from him. These two were my especial tormenters now that I was in High school. In Junior High it had been two other kids, Andy and Tap-Tap, who had been horrible, but not this horrible. These two took bullying to the next extreme.

I walked down the aisle to my seat as if I was walking down death row. Slipping into the seat in front of the duo, I flinched even as my butt came into contact with the seat, knowing it wouldn't be long before I was in excruciating pain.

"Hello, dweeb," Brandon said, using all the combined power of his two brain cells in an exhaustive effort to spit out those two condescending words.

I didn't answer, determinedly staring out the window. Maybe if I pretended I hadn't heard him he'd go away. A tactic I had tried many times, each time meeting with failure.

"I said: _Hello_, dweeb," Brandon said more forcefully, reaching over the seat to pound a fist into my head.

I winced in pain, but managed to reply, "Hi, Brandon."

That seemed to satisfy Brandon because he removed his fist only to then have him sit up and lean over the seat between him and his prey to say right in my ear, pleasantly enough if not for the threat in his words, "Do you know what we're gonna do today, dweeb?"

My face was going to get stuck in a permanently winced position if this kept up. "Arts and Crafts?" I offered weakly with whatever little bravery I had left and then immediately flinched as if I'd been hit as soon as the words hit the air.

Brandon laughed mockingly at this, but then said, in a patronizing voice, "No, dweeb. Actually we're going to do a little makeover. See, me and Hunchback here have a little bet going. I say the only way to beat a kid is with your fists. That way you can control the result. But he says, you need to kick them in the face to get that lovely bruised color. Nothing else works quite the same as your feet. So we're gonna do a little experiment. I'll punch and he'll kick and we'll see which one of us gets the prettier look. How's that sound?"

It sounded horrible. "It sounds great," I said weakly, pasting on a shaky smile as I was already picturing the pile of bruises I was going to be at the end of the day.

"Good," Brandon said and slapped me roughly upside the head. "Then we'll see you at three outside the tool shed." He lowered his voice threateningly, "Don't be late."

I knew what would happen if I was late. I'd tried to avoid them one day and the result had not been pretty. Eyes wide in fear, I nodded my head frantically. "I won't."

"Good," Brandon said again, smiling as he then hit me one more time and sat back in his seat.

--

Later, I was at my locker trying to wrestle with all of my many books and things. They just did not want to stay in my locker. They kept falling out and at the moment I was holding both my Chemistry book and my Literature book along with three different notebooks and a bunch of loose leaf paper, all of which seemed determined to fall out of my hands. Literature book slipping low, I grabbed that and then my Chemistry book began to slip. I scowled in frustration as I grabbed at one of my falling notebooks and then my Chemistry book began to slip again.

"Dammit," I muttered to myself as I tried to adjust my hold on my things only to have a sheet of paper come loose and fall to the floor, the Literature book nearly slipping out of my hands after it. I grabbed for it and the damn Chemistry book began to slip again.

"Hey, Tobias," Rachel's voice said and my' head shot up even as at that exact moment every book I held fell with a clunk to the ground, paper fluttering out of my hands to spread throughout the hallway.

Looking down at the pile of books and paper now at my feet, I could only silently curse my luck as Rachel smiled in some amusement and continued on her way. Of course that would happen right when I needed to look cool.

See, the thing was, I liked Rachel. As in really liked. I had thought she was gorgeous when I was in middle school, back before I had been moved back to my aunt's place across the country. Now that I was back at my uncle's, three years later, Rachel had only gotten prettier. And she was nice too. Some god had stepped in and made us partners in Chemistry and, while I should be using this chance to act cool and sophisticated, all I could seem to manage was blushing and stuttering like the idiot I am. It was just a testament to her character that Rachel seemed to like me still anyways. I mean, she wouldn't be going out of her way to talk to me at lunch or anything, but she would actually acknowledge me in the halls which was more than most people did. All in all, she was amazing.

Getting down on my hands and knees, I started to gather up all of my things, grabbing at the papers as they threatened to float away and chasing after the few that already had. There was a sheet right there and right there and over there. And, oh, there was one right under—"Ah!" A foot had connected with my face and I immediately dropped everything to clutch my nose in pain.

Ow.

"Oops. Sorry," Brandon said though he obviously wasn't the least bit sorry. "Here, let me help you with that." And he reached down as if to gather up some of the loose leaf papers only to take them and throw them this way and that, spreading them out along the hallway and even throwing a few of them away.

I watched this and had to bite back anything I wanted to say. Talking back only got you in more trouble.

Everybody in the hallway laughed and, taking a deep breath to calm myself as Brandon threw his last paper away and walked off laughing to himself, throwing a beefy arm over one of the lead cheerleader's shoulders, I started the longer process of gathering up my things.

Just be calm, I told myself. Getting mad doesn't help anything. It only makes things worse. This is your life and you just have to deal with it for as long as you can. There's only two more years of high school after this one. You can deal.

You can deal.

Having gathered up almost all of the papers, two or three of which I found now had the imprint of someone's shoe, I sighed quietly to myself and shook my head. The world was a rotten place.

"Hey," someone said quietly as they approached and, kneeling down, started to help me pick up the papers. I stared at this strange person until finally the person had picked up every piece of paper there was left and, presenting them to me, said, "I saw what they were doing to you and that's not right, man. It's just not right."

I looked down at the floor, somewhat ashamed.

"I mean," the person—a tall, dark-haired senior that I had seen around campus sometimes—continued, "Maybe this is none of my business, but why don't you stick up for yourself?"

That made me a little irritated and I grabbed the papers away from the senior a little more roughly than was warranted. "You're right. That is none of your business."

"Hey," the senior said, putting his hands up in a warding gesture. "I don't mean anything by it. I just . . . well . . .wait a minute . . ." Here, the senior paused to open his backpack and scrimmage through it for a moment, finally pulling out a flyer and presenting this to me. "Here. I'm part of this group that I think you might like. It's called the Sharing and, despite what you may have heard, it's actually a pretty cool place. We have barbecues and camping trips or, if you like, you could just come and hang out with us sometime. No pressure. We could just play some pool or watch some TV."

I took the flyer from the other boy gingerly and actually looked at it. It did sound nice and the people in the picture on the flyer certainly seemed happy enough.

"It's just a place where everybody can be themselves and still be accepted no matter what," the guy continued, smiling at me carefully.

"Do I have to pay anything?" I asked, looking up from the flyer in question.

"Oh no," the senior said, shaking his head with another smile and looking like the question was a silly one. "Everything's free of charge." There was a pause then the senior looked at me expectantly. "So? What do you think?"

I looked back down at the flyer again for a moment then, having a thought, looked at my watch. It was two minutes till the start of my first class and my first class was on the opposite side of campus. "I think I'm gonna be late for class," I said as I hastily grabbed my backpack and swung it over my shoulder. "Thank you! I'll think about it!" I called over my shoulder as I ran off.

--

And I did think about it. I thought about it when I was being beaten black and blue that day after school. I thought about it when my uncle was yelling at me and throwing beer bottles at my head over some little non-important thing. I thought about it in my classes. I thought about it on the bus. I thought about it when I was making dinner and when I was cleaning up the house after my uncle had passed out in the living room. And eventually I decided that I had nothing to lose so I might as well go. And so, a week after I had first received the flyer, I went.

Looking at the well-worn flyer I had prized since I had first received it, I looked up at the door in front of me. This was the right address. All I had to do was go inside. Just go inside. Everybody wasn't going to laugh at me just because I entered through the door.

Eventually I got up the courage to open the door and I was immediately greeted by two happy, smiling people wearing nametags.

"Hello!" the one on the left said cheerfully, her nametag declaring her Stacy. "Welcome to the Sharing!"

"Is this your first time?" the one on the right asked curiously, his nametag declaring him John.

"Um . . . Yeah," I said uncertainly, looking around myself at the room curiously. I was in what looked like a rec room, with couches set up to watch TV over in the corner and pool and ping pong tables set up in the center for anybody who wanted to play. I could see through the clear sliding door that outside they had basketball hoops set up and tables and chairs for those that just wanted to sit outside. The whole place had a homey feel to it that I actually liked.

"Well then. Let's show you around, shall we?" Stacy said, putting a hand on my shoulder and starting to lead me around the building, showing me things like where the kitchen was, where the bathrooms were, what the rules were for the ping pong and pool tables and TV, and other things like that. John was left at the door to greet the other guests and Stacy had such a friendly air to her that I found myself liking her immensely. Eventually she had shown me everything and left me with a group of other Sharing members to "hang out".

"So you're Tobias, eh?" one of the Sharing members asked, looking away from the TV to give me his attention.

Still a little nervous, I just nodded and wiped my hands on my "nice" jeans.

"Well, I'm Matt," the guy continued and reached out a hand to shake. Quickly, wiping my hands on my jeans again, I shook his hand.

"Welcome to the club," Matt said, taking his hand back and sitting back on the couch. "Why don't you come sit over here?" he said, gesturing me closer and scooting over to give me some room on the couch.

By the end of the day, I had had so much fun and had felt so welcomed and liked that I had decided that I would be spending a lot of time here at the Sharing. This was my new favorite place to be.

"So will we be seeing you again?" Stacy asked as I prepared to leave.

Looking back at where the other guys I'd been hanging out with were still watching TV, I turned back to Stacy and smiled slightly. "Yeah. I think you will."

"Well that's great!" Stacy said and she actually seemed genuinely enthusiastic.

My smile gained some strength and I promised myself that I'd come back the very next day.

On my second visit I was given a "buddy". Someone to hang out with and who would help me figure out how to best use the Sharing's resources. At first I had been a little insulted. Were they saying that I was so geeky that they needed to hire someone to hang out with me? But then I had realized that everybody had been given a "buddy" just like me and I had calmed down.

On my third visit my "buddy," Mark, first introduced the idea of becoming a full member to me.

"A full member?" I had repeated, somewhat unsure.

"Yeah," Mark had said with a bright smile and a nod, "You'd be given a lot more responsibility but then you'd also be given a lot more trust and you could do things and know things that only the full members can know about. I'm a full member and, believe me, it's great."

I still hadn't been sure I was the leadership type, but it had sounded cool. Looking down at my lap then up at Mark again, I had said, "But how would I do that? Would it take long?"

"Well you'd have to come to a lot more meetings," Mark had replied, "but if you were serious about it you could definitely become a full member by the end of the month. And there's an initiation process, of course, but I think you'd be fine."

Huh, I had thought and then told Mark that I'd think about it.

--

Finally the day came that I would be turning sixteen. Somewhat excited to find out what the lawyers could possibly want with me, I pulled out a relatively nice outfit—My closet is full of hand-me-downs, Goodwill rejects, and clothes that no longer fit so this was a little hard—and planned out my day. I would go to school for first period, but then I would skip out during second and take the bus down to the lawyer's office with what little money I had been able to scrounge up.

All went according to plan and I found myself outside a small business office, double-checking the address to make sure I had the right place. Finally, gathering up my courage and actually feeling much better about myself now that I had happened across the Sharing, I entered through the front door.

I found myself in a small reception area where chairs had been set up with end tables bearing old magazines to read while a person waited and a secretary sat at her desk, writing something in an appointment book, the phone held to her ear.

I waited until she was done with the phone call and then approached.

"Yes. Can I help you?" the secretary asked, her eyes roaming over my tattered slacks and too small polo shirt.

I felt a wave of self-consciousness, but I was used to this so it passed quickly and I said in a clear voice, "I'm here to see Mr. DeGroot?" making the statement sound more like a question.

The secretary just looked at me, not impressed. "Do you have an appointment?"

I nodded. "Yes."

Hearing this, the secretary turned to her computer. "And would that be with Robert DeGroot or his father, Richard DeGroot?" she asked as she typed something in.

"Um . . . the first one," I said.

"And can I get your name?"

"Tobias LePais."

"Alright . . ." The secretary typed this in then seemed to read something from the screen before turning back to me. "You have an 11 o'clock appointment. Please wait over there and Mr. DeGroot will be with you in a moment."

It turned out to be nearly fifteen minutes before Mr. DeGroot could see me and I ended up reading an old motorcycle magazine without knowing why.

Finally Mr. DeGroot stepped out of his office to welcome me. "Ah, Mr. LePais. So glad you could make it." He began ushering me into his office where another man was already seated. "Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee? Coke?"

I shook my head as I took the seat next to the man who was already in the room. "No, thank you."

Mr. DeGroot smiled as he sat back down in his desk chair. "Well at least you're polite."

The man that had already been seated shot Mr. DeGroot a look and the lawyer cleared his throat.

"But that's enough for pleasantries," he said and shuffled through some of the papers on his desk. "Let's get down to business, shall we? I've taken the liberty of hiring you a legal counsel." Mr. DeGroot indicated the other man with a hand. "This is Mr. Visser."

Mr. Visser nodded his head at me.

"Um. Hi," I said with a weak smile in greeting. This guy seemed a little intimidating.

"He's here if you have any questions or concerns. Just ask him and it's his job to help out," Mr. DeGroot said with a smile and I looked at my supposed legal counsel again. He certainly didn't look very helpful.

"Well then . . ." Mr. DeGroot shuffled some more papers before getting started. "We're here today to carry out the reading of an important document left for Tobias by his father," Mr. DeGroot began seriously, almost formally, "By . . . by a man different than the man you believed to be your father."

What? I blinked once, more than shocked by this. This wasn't what I'd been expecting at all. "So I'm not getting money?"

Mr. DeGroot didn't seem to know what to make of my reaction to that. "Um . . . No." There was an awkward pause before Mr. DeGroot said, "So shall we get started?" He seemed to be looking more to Mr. Visser than me as he asked this.

"Just read it," Mr. Visser snapped and I turned now to look at him strangely. Mr. Visser seemed to realize he was acting weirdly and seemed to settle himself down. He smiled genially at me. "I'm sure you're curious about what this is all about."

That still didn't make Mr. Visser seem to be acting any less weird, but I smiled weakly at the effort at normalcy.

"Well then," the lawyer cleared his voice, before beginning to read. "Dear Tobias." Mr. DeGroot paused, seeming to hesitate before pulling out a pair of reading glasses from his desk and putting them on. "Dear Tobias," he began again. "I am your father. You never knew me and I never knew you. I do not know what your life has been over these many years. I hope that your mother found someone else to love. I know that all memory of me has been erased from her mind. All evidence of my time on Earth has been erased."

I could feel Mr. Visser staring at me and I didn't know why. He had an almost predatory alertness, but I was just confused. What was this guy they called my real father talking about? Erased from her mind?

Mr. DeGroot continued. "I am being given this opportunity to communicate with you by the very creature who has erased my life on Earth. He has called me back to my duty and I cannot fail. This will seem very strange to you, my unknown, unseen, unmet, son. But I am not one of your people. I have taken on the form of a human, but I am not human."

Now I was really confused. Was this guy crazy?

The lawyer seemed to glance up at me to meet my confused eyes then glanced at Mr. Visser and continued on. "I was in a terrible war. I did terrible things. I had to, I suppose. But I grew tired of war, so I ran away. I went and hid among the people of Earth. Among humans. While on Earth, and living as a human, I took the name Alan Fangor."

The lawyer seemed to be quoting from memory now, no longer really reading and was instead just watching my reaction. Mr. Visser had given up the act of normalcy and was just watching me closely though for what, I didn't know. There was a tension in the room as if something huge was happening here, if I could only figure out what.

"I took the name Alan Fangor," the lawyer repeated. " But my true name is Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul."

The two men seemed to watch me especially closely at the sound of the name. I just blinked, more than confused. Who was this madman they called my father and why did he think he was an alien? And, more importantly, what did these people, Mr. DeGroot and Mr. Visser, want with me?

Mr. DeGroot seemed a little confused as to why I wasn't reacting like he supposedly expected and reread the last line as if it should be especially shocking, "But my true name is Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul." Again the lawyer looked up at me.

I again just looked confused.

"Oh he doesn't know anything," Mr. Visser burst out irritably. "Just take him down to the pool."

And that was when things got really strange.

--

TBC?


	3. Ch 2: Luke, I Am Your Father

Alright, I decided some of the reviewers were right and that an Animorph fic from third person was kind of weird so I went and changed it. This chapter is in first person. Thank you for all the reviews. Thank you!

And this isn't exactly the most action packed chapter so please just be patient. There will be a lot more fighting later on. Right now I just wanted to focus on getting Tobias and Elfangor introduced.

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Chapter # 2: Luke, I Am Your Father

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As was said. That was when things got really strange.

All of a sudden there was a shout from the secretary and then this . . . this blue centaur-like creature with a long scorpion tail burst through the office door.

"Andalite!" Mr. Visser hissed the word as if it was an obscenity and jumped up from his seat, turning around to face this centaur-thing.

(Visser Three) came the voice that wasn't a voice from the centaur-thing. At least I guessed it was from the centaur-thing. I was a little busy freaking out about there being a centaur-thing in the first place and that there was a voice in my head to really know for sure. Voices aren't supposed to be in your head. It just wasn't done unless you were crazy and I just didn't think I was crazy. Though you never knew.

And then things got even weirder if that was even possible.

"Take the boy!" Mr. Visser shouted at Mr. DeGroot and then he started to—I blinked—change. But I couldn't stay and really watch this change as at that moment Mr. DeGroot grabbed me bodily and started to drag me out through a secret back door.

I, of course, protested this, trying to get away by kicking and thrashing, but Mr. DeGroot had a good hold on me and continued to drag me through the door and out into the back parking lot area.

"Fire!" I screamed as I thrashed, hoping that some kind savior would be passing by at that very minute to hear my screams and knowing that people only came to help if they thought they were in trouble too. Thus the screaming of 'Fire!' when there was no fire.

But instead of some kind savior I instead got yet another centaur-thing—this one was bigger and a darker blue so I knew it was a different one—who burst through the secret door as if it was cardboard and came running after me and the retreating form of Mr. DeGroot.

I decided that this would have to do as Mr. DeGroot attempted to keep his hold on me and open the door to some nondescript van at the same time. I didn't make this easy on him as I continued to thrash and actually tried biting him to no avail.

But then the centaur-thing was there and Mr. DeGroot's head was suddenly not connected to his body. Suddenly free, I stopped where I was like an idiot and stared, feeling a little sick to my stomach as the head rolled away and the body collapsed to the ground, no longer holding me captive. That centaur-thing had just decapitated my lawyer!

(Come with me) came the voice that wasn't a voice in my head, assumedly coming from the centaur-thing as the blue creature then started to run off only to pause and call again (Child. We need to go!) Apparently it was waiting for me to follow it.

Still staring at the decapitated head of my lawyer, the face forever frozen in an expression of surprise, I slowly started to follow after the centaur-thing, not quite sure if the creature was only drawing me away so that it could chop off my head too.

But as we ran away the centaur-thing began to change just as Mr. Visser had begun to change. It was the strangest thing I had ever seen, like someone had taken a ball of clay and started playing with shapes. A crevice appeared in the middle of the creature's face and then two blobs of fats popped out to form lips. Then the eyestalks on the top of the creature's head shlooped, for lack of a better word, into the centaur-thing's head one at a time.

Ears grew and the eyes changed as the creature's spine seemed to dislocate and crunch and change—the centaur-thing had to stop running as this happened and we took refuge in an alleyway where I tried to stay as far away from my savior as I could but couldn't help staring as this creature crunched and twisted and shlooped its way to being something different.

The centaur-thing's front legs and hooves sucked into its body and the spine stopped moving around so that the creature was standing on its two back hooves, straight up like a person. And then these hooves started to separate into digits, hard black toes appearing and heels popping out to create black feet, swiftly turning into regular human feet. The knees crunched and twisted around. The blue fur began to become spotted with regular human skin, like the centaur-thing was becoming bald really, really fast. Hair started popping out of the creature's head in bursts and the bones in the face rearranged and changed.

Eventually the changes came to a stop and I was left with a regular, everyday human adult who just happened to be wearing spandex. He had regular brown hair on his head and two brown eyes and looked like he was about 30. I didn't want to be anywhere near him. What the hell was this guy?

The former centaur-thing seemed to ignore me to go dig behind the dumpster for something, eventually coming out with a brown Sears bag. Taking out a set of clothing and some shoes, he began to dress. This was just all too weird for me and I backed into the alley wall, still staring at the former centaur-thing. Questions were on the tip of my tongue wanting to break free but I was too freaked out.

Then, having gotten dressed in a plain t-shirt and jeans and sneakers, the former centaur-thing looked at me and spoke with his now human mouth. "Tobias. I can't explain everything right now, but you need to trust me. I'm here to help."

"What are you?" I asked, still staring wide-eyed at this creature.

"I'm an Andalite. An alien. My name is Maril-Patiniva-Corias and what I just did is called morphing."

That wasn't enough to calm me down. "You killed that man."

"I know," the alien said, his voice seeming to be trying for soothing. "He was a Controller. Another alien. An evil one. I'll explain all this later though. We need to get going before anymore of those Controllers find us."

I wasn't about to move anytime soon. "And how do I know you aren't just going to kill me too?" I asked, that fear still paramount in my mind.

"Because we did all that to save you." Obviously seeing that this did nothing to calm me, he frowned and continued, "Look. You're just going to have to trust me on that. We need to get going." And, that said, he went to peek outside the alley. Seeming to find everything to his liking, he indicated for me to follow him and stepped into the light of the day-lit, busy sidewalk. For a moment I didn't move, but then he looked back at me with some impatience and I decided that if I wasn't going to trust him I should at least follow him because he seemed to know what was going on and I was still lost. Because really. Aliens? That was a little outside my normal realm of experience. I had no idea what to do.

What followed was the weirdest walk through the familiar streets of my town that I had ever experienced. This former centaur-thing was just walking around like everything was fine and normal. Nobody even looked twice at him. That, if anything, was the scariest thing I had ever seen. Because who knew how many of his kind were out there. There could be thousands just walking among us like they belonged.

I shuddered at the thought and hurried my pace a little so that I was walking just behind the alien. I couldn't help but steal little looks at everyone we passed, wondering if they too were like him or maybe one of the other aliens that the Andalite—I suppose I should call them by their real name and not centaur-thing—had killed. What had he called them? A Controller?

Eventually, after a long and windy and ultimately confusing path, we got to a plain one-story house near the meadow and the Andalite entered through the front door as if he owned the place. Inside, three other Andalites were waiting in what seemed to be their natural form.

(It's about time) one of them said, the thought-voice seeming to be coming from the snooty looking one on the right.

Maril-P-something-something, the Andalite that I had so far been spending my time with, began to morph back into his Andalite self without reply, as if he was used to this from the other Andalite.

(Were you followed?) the Andalite in the middle asked. He was ordinary size and looked a lot like the other three Andalites but he somehow also seemed to be the one in charge.

Waiting a moment until he was finished with his morph, Maril said, (No. If anybody was following us, we lost them.)

The Andalite in charge nodded. (Good.) Then he seemed to turn his attention on me. (And are you alright?)

I just stared, still freaked out and convinced that they were going to kill me at any moment.

(He's fine. Just a little confused) Maril answered for me, knocking one hoof against the floor as if getting ready to move.

(Have you explained anything?) the leader asked, turning back to Maril.

(Just that we are Andalites and that we aren't going to kill him.) Maril seemed to frown with his eyes. It was the second strangest thing I had seen all day. (He seems convinced we will anyway though.)

The leader nodded at this again, seeming to understand. (Which is just as well. He is wise to not trust so quickly.)

The snooty one seemed to really want to say something to this but he, perhaps wisely, didn't. The one in charge shot him a look as if he had though.

"So you're not going to kill me then?" I spoke up finally, a tremor to my voice, just needing to know this for my own peace of mind. I still kept close to the wall and door though, not quite trusting the aliens enough to come any further out.

The leader smiled at me with his eyes, making that the other second strangest thing I had seen today. (No) he said kindly, (We are not going to kill you.)

(We _saved_ you) the snooty one said, sounding both a little indignant and smug at the same time. Impressive.

"From . . . from those guys?" I asked nervously, looking from one Andalite to the other. My eyes came to rest on the one that hadn't said anything yet. He seemed to be the smallest. Perhaps he was the youngest.

(Yes) the one in charge said and I turned my attention back to him, (From "those guys.")

(They're called Controllers) Maril said, speaking up again to explain. (They're what happens when a Yeerk takes control of a being.)

I blinked. "What's a Yeerk?"

The snooty one stomped his front hooves and looked irritated. (What's a Yeerk? What's a Yeerk?) This question seemed to have bothered him a great deal.

(Calm yourself, Erithin) the leader said, giving the snooty one a warning look before turning back to me. (A Yeerk is what you would call a parasitic slug. They crawl into a being's ear and take control of the brain and thus the entire being. Unfortunately for this planet they are currently involved in a massive invasion process. Done in secret so that no human is aware.)

"And those people that you guys saved me from . . . Those were Controllers?"

The leader nodded yet again. (Yes.)

(And not just any Controllers) Maril said. (That was Visser Three himself.)

"Who?" I asked but then realized whom he must be talking about. "You mean Mr. Visser?" I'd thought that guy didn't seem right.

(That is usually the name he takes on when he is in human form) the snooty one—Erithin apparently—said condescendingly. That guy was starting to get really irritating.

I frowned at him but turned back to Maril and the one in charge and continued with my questions. "But why would they want to take me? I mean, shouldn't they be trying to take control of important people?"

There was a pause where all the Andalites exchanged what seemed to be an uncomfortable look until finally the one in charge looked back at me and said, (You are far more important than you know.)

I frowned again, wanting to tell him that no I really wasn't, but eventually decided to go with something else, saying instead, "You mean because of the whole my dad is an alien thing? Did you know him or something?"

There was another pause as all the Andalites but the one in charge looked at me with what seemed to be some incredulity. The one in charge blinked in surprise, but then seemed to get lost in thought.

Eventually he came out of this thought and spoke again, only this time somewhat haltingly. (You . . . you could say that.)

I was starting to get excited here. This meant I actually had a family, even if it was a somewhat weird family. "So all of that was true? Do you think I could meet him?"

(First let us decide what we are going to do next and then we can see,) the one in charge said kindly and I frowned in disappointment. That was just a nice way to say no.

(Now,) the leader said, seeming to want to get the conversation started. (Does anybody have any ideas on what we do next?)

I really wanted to ask what they had been thinking, rescuing me without having a clue what to do once they had me, but I refrained.

(Well . . . we can't exactly bring him back home.) Maril said almost hesitantly as I looked at him. (The Yeerks know his face now. They'll only take him again.)

Which was true and I didn't want that. I turned to face the one in charge warily. Surely they wouldn't rescue me only to let me be taken again, would they?

(But we can't keep him with us) Erithin said. (He's a human.) The sneer in that mind-voice all too apparent.

Well that was a little insulting—what was wrong with being human?—but, again, I wasn't going to say anything. I'd seen how fast they could move those tails and I kind of liked my head where it was. Just because they said they weren't going to kill me didn't mean they couldn't change their mind.

Still the one in charge deliberated. For a long few painful moments, the knowledge that this could be the point that would change my entire life white hot in my mind, there was silence.

Finally the leader looked to me, (You have two choices. We can keep you hidden for the rest of your life or you can go back home and face the Yeerks head on, trusting that maybe they have given up on you.)

Well that wasn't much of a choice. "I'll stay with you," I said, voice shaking just the littlest bit. But I was sure. I had never been surer in my entire life. I didn't want to go back. What did I have to go back to anyways? Getting beaten by my uncle? Being ignored and bullied in school? I'd miss Dude but that was about it.

(You will never see your parents again) the Andalite warned.

Which wasn't a problem. This just made me all the more sure. "I don't have parents," I told him.

This seemed to shock the Andalite some and he drew his head back in surprise. (What? But surely you must have someone.)

I didn't really want to admit this but . . . "Well, I have my uncle," I said, feeling a little embarrassed and ashamed, the way I always felt when talking about Uncle Nick. "But he's not exactly the greatest guardian there is, you know?"

(What happened to your mom?)

I frowned. Why would this alien want to know that? Still he had asked. "She disappeared when I was really little."

(And your dad?) the Andalite pressed, seemingly strangely intent about this. Maybe the aliens had some strange alien-taboo about orphans?

"He died even before that. I don't remember him." I shrugged uncomfortably. "Though I guess it doesn't matter because apparently he's not really my dad anyways, huh?"

The leader looked at me for a long moment as he seemed to digest this. Then he said, (And you would be okay with just leaving your uncle to deal with your disappearance?)

"I doubt he'd even care I was gone," I muttered. Which was embarrassing to admit to these strange aliens—what did they care about the life of some human?—but it was true.

There was another moment of silence as the Andalite seemed to consider this. Then he said, (Then I welcome you, Tobias LePais. We shall see about getting you a place to sleep of your own soon. And I suppose we should introduce ourselves. This here,) he swung a delicate hand to indicate the smallest of the Andalites who still hadn't spoken. (Is my little brother, Aximilli-Esgarrouth-Isthill. That over there,) he indicated the largest Andalite on the left, (Is Maril-Patiniva-Corias. And this—)

The arrogant one interrupted here. (My name is Erithin-Nazul-Kamarili.)

I nodded and tried to repeat the names in my head so I would remember them. Then I frowned as I realized that the one in charge still hadn't introduced himself. "And you?"

(And I . . .) the leader seemed to hesitate before finally introducing himself. (And my name is Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul.)

I stared. I couldn't help it. I probably should have done something else, but I just stared. That name sounded way too familiar. "Then you . . ."

(Yes.) Elfangor nodded, a human action that I recognized. (I am your father.)

And I found myself unable to even snicker at how _Star Wars_ that statement was. This was my dad!

--

The discussion went on long into the afternoon about what they would do with me. Obviously I would stay with them and hide from the Yeerks for as long as possible, but there were a few inherent difficulties in hiding me for the rest of my life. It just wasn't possible to think that I could stay hidden from the Yeerks for years upon years. Sooner or later I would have to be let out of the house and they would find me. This had started a big argument about what they should do that Elfangor's little brother Aximili and I had decided to stay out of. Instead we had retreated further into the kitchen where we had gotten better acquainted.

(So you're really Elfangor's son?) Aximili had asked, looking at me with only curiosity.

Jumping up to sit on the counter, I shrugged. "I guess so. It's weird. I've never had a dad and now that I do I don't know what to do about it. What do you say to a dad you've not only never met, but who's an entirely different species from you?"

Aximili blinked, obviously trying to think about that and finding himself unable to. (I don't know)

We sat in silence for a few minutes then I glanced at the young Andalite curiously. "How long have you guys been on Earth anyway?"

(Three of your Earth years) Axmili provided promptly.

"And are there more of you Andalites out there?"

Aximili shook his head, obviously an Earth trait that he had picked up. It looked strange on him. (We are the only Andalites on Earth. There was a great battle and we were the only ones to survive. We have tried to get in contact with our people but have had no success.)

"Well that must suck," I said, trying to imagine being the only ones of my species. I couldn't do it.

Aximili blinked again. (Suck what?)

Obviously he hadn't understood the human slang. Of course he wouldn't have. He was an alien. "I mean that must . . . be horrible for you," I tried to explain. "It must be difficult."

(Oh,) Aximili seemed to understand. (It does have its difficulties) Aximili said, obviously trying not to complain. (But we have each other and that is enough. All of us could have easily been the only one.)

I nodded. "Yeah that probably would have been a lot worse."

(And Earth life isn't so bad) Aximili said, (You are a strange and backward planet, but you can be very amusing and the sense of taste is most incredible. I have found this food called the Cinnabon. Have you tried it?)

I nodded again. "Once or twice. It was okay."

(It is amazing) Aximili disagreed. (The others say different foods are far superior, but I disagree. When we eventually do get in contact with our home planet I will have to introduce this creation to my people. They will love it.)

"I guess it must be strange for you to experience taste and all that, what with having no mouth and all." I stopped, having a thought, and narrowed my eyes at Aximili thoughtfully. "How did you guys eat?"

(Through our hooves, of course) As if that should have been obvious.

"Right. Of course." Silly me.

(Alright Aximili and Tobias, you may come back in now) Maril's thought-voice broke into our conversation and I jumped down off of the counter and followed Aximili back into the living room.

"So what's the verdict?" I asked, having become much more comfortable among these strange aliens in the past hours.

(I'm afraid there is no verdict) my father said. (It has grown late and we are tired and hungry. Tempers are being tested. We have decided to come back to this subject on another day when we are more rested.)

I frowned. Well that was alright for them, but I was a little curious about how I was going to be living from here on in. But still, it was up to them so I probably shouldn't complain. "Um. Okay, I guess."

And so all of the Andalites except Elfangor left to go back to their homes in the forest on the other side of the meadow. Apparently only Elfangor lived in the house. They had needed someone to get a job so that they could both have money and better infiltrate into human society and Elfangor had been the obvious choice. He was both the leader and the only one with Earthling experience. Eventually Elfangor and I were left alone and we stood watching each other awkwardly.

"So . . ." I said, trying to break the awkward silence.

--

TBC?


	4. Ch 3: What I Wouldn't Give For A Reeses

Okay I just wanted to say thank you again for the reviews. Especially to metamorphstorm, The Shang Kudarung, Darth Taegous, freak show, and Evance. Thank you!

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Chapter #3: What I Wouldn't Give For A Reese's

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"So . . ." I said, trying to break the awkward silence.

(I suppose I should show you where you will be sleeping) Elfangor said and then gestured for me to follow him. (Come with me)

I followed Elfangor deeper into the house until we came to the door of a room and Elfangor started to explain, (This is the room I normally use to sleep in when it rains, but you take it. I will sleep in another room.)

"Oh no," I said, shaking my head, horrified at the idea of taking his room. I mean, this guy had already saved me from having a slug shoved in my ear. I didn't want to take his room too. "I can't take your bedroom. That's not . . . I mean . . . I just can't."

Elfangor smiled at me with his eyes. (But I insist.)

"But . . ." I tried to find some way to get out of this. "But where will you sleep?"

(I will sleep where I usually sleep. Outside.)

"But what about when it rains?" I said, still horrified and now grasping at straws to get out of this.

(Then I will sleep in my study,) Elfangor said, still smiling in that weird way Andalites apparently have. (I'm sure it will be quite nice.)

"But . . ." I had run out of ideas.

(Tobias) Elfangor said gently. (Take the room.)

"Well . . ." I wasn't happy about this, but I supposed it would be really, really rude of me not to take his offer. Plus, I had no choice. "Okay," I finally said and entered the room to look around. The room was really plain, with nothing to give it any kind of life. The walls were white and nothing decorated the shelves. On the bed there was a blue comforter and some white pillows but that was the only color in the room.

(Tell me when you get hungry,) Elfangor said and then he left me to apparently get situated. There wasn't much to situate myself with really, but I suppose it was nice of him to give me space. I was going to have to get used to living and seeing only the things in this house, after all. My old life was gone.

And suddenly I realized all of what I had just given up. I sat down abruptly on the bed.

I had nothing. I owned nothing. All I had for family was the strange alien that had just left me his room and, I guess, his little brother. I would no longer go to school. I would never have to do homework again. There would be no more bullies, but no more Rachel either. I would never see my English teacher—who I had particularly liked because she would read my short stories—again. People would think I had run away and maybe they would try to look for me but they would never find me. I was, officially, dead.

Oh my God.

What on Earth had I been thinking? There's no way I could live like this. What about Dude? Who was going to feed him? My uncle certainly wouldn't.

What about Rachel? What was she going to do about her Chemistry partner suddenly disappearing? Would she even care?

I hope she cared.

And I had just said okay when Elfangor had asked me if I wanted to stay with them? I hadn't even thought about the question. Though, really, there had been no other answer. The Yeerks were after me. This was the only way I would be safe.

I just couldn't believe what I had given up though. I had given up everything. Hopefully this new life wouldn't turn out so bad, but I had learned enough in my 16 years of life to not give that much hope.

But what else could I do? I would just have to do what I always did and survive. In a way I guess my life hadn't changed so much after all.

I just had to survive.

--

The weeks went on and I paid close attention to the news to catch any developments in my missing persons case. They still couldn't find me and eventually they gave up. My uncle wasn't pushing for the search to continue, he honestly didn't seem to care, and so the search was called off. I'll tell you the truth. That upset me a little, but I tried not to think about it.

And I became more comfortable with the Andalites. Each one had made it a habit to stop by Elfangor's house regularly to report in to their leader. Aximili especially seemed to enjoy visiting his brother and would stay for hours at a time. But as Elfangor was usually busy that left Aximili to talk to me. And I quickly grew to like him and through him I had learned all about the other Andalites.

Apparently, Maril had a fiancé back on the Andalite home world called Aerui-Kaftul-Jaishn that he thought about constantly and Erithin really wasn't as arrogant as he seemed. He was just irritated about the primitiveness of the planet they were stuck on and had taken their isolation the hardest. Aximili also had a sort of hero worship for his brother and I had heard story after story of Elfangor's bravery in battle and kindness and intelligence. But I had also heard many amusing little anecdotes about when my father had been growing up on the Andalite home world.

Aximili continued with his story. (And then he jumped _over_ the _skirlig_ and ran—)

"What's a _skirlig_?" I had to ask, hating to break into the middle of a story, but curious.

(It looks much like a cross between your Earth squirrel and this other creature I have seen,) Aximili tried to explain. (It is black with a white stripe down the middle and squirts this horrible stench.)

I nodded, understanding. "Oh, you mean a skunk."

(Is that what they're called?) Aximili asked and then tried out the word himself, (Skunk. It is a strange word.)

"Hey, no weirder than _skirlig_."

(_Skirlig_ is a fine word,) Aximili said, sounding a little insulted.

"Yeah, yeah whatever." I had discovered that all Andalites seemed to hold their planet and other Andalites in a higher regard than others and so had learned not to pay too much attention when Aximili or the others would get insulted on behalf of their species. "Keep going."

Getting over the insult quickly so that he could finish this much loved story, Aximili continued, (Well he jumped _over_ the _skirlig_ and then ran right into the _jafa_, which is much like your human barn. He broke through the wood and crashed to the floor right in front of these Andalite females and then he stands up and—)

"Aximili," Elfangor said, coming into the room in his human morph. "Are you telling that story again?"

Aximili stopped, looking a bit embarrassed. (Yes, brother.)

"I told you to stop that. Don't you have anything better to do?"

Aximili looked down at the floor and scuffed at it with a hoof in an embarrassed fashion.

Elfangor sighed. "Never mind. It's not important. Just stop telling that story." And then he left, supposedly to go do some more work.

Getting over his embarrassment quickly, Aximili immediately turned back to me and started up with the story again. (Right in front of these Andalite females and then he stands up and says—)

So I was actually okay with having to leave my old life behind. I had a new friend, my first friend in a long time never mind that he was a different species, and I was having fun learning about the universe as Elfangor had decided to keep up my schooling by having Maril teach me all I needed to know.

But, for all the stories Aximili told, I still hadn't spent much time with my father. It was just my luck, I suppose. I discover I have a father and he turns out to be a workaholic. Elfangor loved his job as a computer programmer and he was intensely dedicated to stopping the Yeerk invasion. Which was good, I guess, for the human race, but maybe not so good for me individually. Not that I liked the Yeerks all that much either, but you know what I mean. I had all these questions I wanted answered. Questions like 'What was Mom like? How did you meet her? What have you been doing all this time? Why did you really leave?' But I never got up the courage to ask.

But that was another thing. Maril had also explained more about the Yeerks. Apparently Yeerks had to feed every three days on something called Kadrona rays. They went down into something called the Yeerk pool and crawled out of their host's ear and swam around as they fed. There was also something called the Yeerk Peace Movement that Elfangor and the others had discovered, though they didn't really trust them, and apparently the Sharing was a front for the Yeerk invasion. Apparently if I had become a full member I would have become a Controller. When I had heard that I had never been so thankful to have gone to that meeting with DeGroot. It had kept me Yeerk-free.

But as the days passed and the weeks became a month, it became apparent that the Andalites still hadn't figured out what to do with me. The discussion had continued and was taken out whenever they weren't busy planning a raid on the Yeerk forces, but nothing was settled. I had actually listened in on one of these arguments and they seemed to go around in circles. They knew I had to be hidden, but they also knew that I couldn't be hidden forever and they had no idea as to how to get around this. I got the feeling when I was listening in that they were dodging around a certain solution, but I couldn't figure out what that was.

Still, that was my life and it would have been my life for a long time after that if I hadn't gotten the Idea.

--

Okay, before I go any further you have to understand that I knew from the start this was a stupid idea. I'm not an idiot. I knew what I was doing was the most idiotic thing I could possibly be doing at that moment. But I was so bored and I was going stir-crazy. I had been staying at Elfangor's house for more than a month, only able to see the same four walls day after day after day. I could go outside but only out into the small 10-foot by 4-foot backyard. I needed some variety. I needed to get out.

Plus, I figured it had been a month already. Surely the Yeerks had forgotten about me. Or at the very least forgotten what I looked like.

And Elfangor wasn't in the habit of buying junk food when he bought groceries and I had a serious craving for some candy. Any candy would do, but I especially wanted a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. I don't know why. I just did. And so came the Idea.

I would go into town just for a little while. Just for a walk around the block really. I just needed to stretch my legs. It was one of those rare days that Elfangor had had to go in for work and none of the other Andalites were scheduled to drop by. I'd thought it was perfect. Nobody would even know.

And so I got out a hat and donned some sunglasses and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked suspicious, but also completely unlike myself. Perfect.

The first half of the walk went fine. I walked to the 7-11 two blocks down and got myself a whole bag of candy and a Big Gulp. But it was as I was walking around after that, munching contentedly on my King Size Reese's, that I ran into trouble. Literally, in fact. I was so busy slurping some soda, and loving every minute of it, that I ran right into someone.

"Hey!" the girl said angrily as I fumbled with my drink and candy and barely kept from spilling all over her. "Watch it!" And then she kneeled down to start picking up her purchases. There were a few specialty boutiques around the corner that she had apparently just shopped at and it was around this time that I realized that this girl was Rachel. My drink now under control, I stared at her stupidly.

She eventually looked up from gathering her things and asked angrily, "What are you staring at?"

"Nothing," I said quickly and hurriedly turned my face away, reaching up with the hand still holding my Reese's to make sure my glasses were still on my face.

Rachel narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously. "Do I know you?"

"No," I said nervously, carefully keeping my face averted. My disguise was good enough that if she had just walked by me she wouldn't have suspected a thing, but it wasn't good enough for head on close scrutiny. "Never seen you before in my life."

"No," she said, pursing her lips and scrutinizing me carefully. "I know you from somewhere. Take off that stupid hat."

My head still averted, the hand still holding my candy flew to my head to make sure the hat was in place. "I'd really rather keep it on," I said.

"Then take off the sunglasses. They're too big for your head anyways."

"I like these sunglasses," I said feebly, hand moving to touch my sunglasses.

Rachel sighed irritably and obviously decided she would need a more hands on approach. She ripped the sunglasses off my head.

"Hey!" I said and tried to block her view of my face with my Big Gulp and candy-holding hand.

But she had seen all she needed to. "I knew it!" she cried. "Tobias! Where have you been?"

"What do you mean Tobias?" I asked, still keeping my Big Gulp and hand in front of my face. "I'm not Tobias. I'm . . ." I searched frantically for a name, finally coming up with, "I'm Greg."

"Tobias," she just said and I couldn't exactly see her face, Big Gulp in the way and all, but I could envision her getting this look on her face that said she was getting fed up with this.

And so I did the only thing I could do. I bolted. Throwing the Big Gulp off to the side so that it didn't slow me down, I turned and ran away.

"Hey!" Rachel shouted and then I heard feet other than mine pounding the pavement. She was chasing after me.

I raced around the next corner, my hat flying off, but I couldn't go back and get it. My feet fairly flew I was running so fast. You don't have as many bullies after you as I do and not know how to run. Problem was Rachel was just as fast and she was determined. She raced around the same corner and kept after me.

Coming up to the end of the next block, I raced across the busy street, dodging between the cars. Luckily it had been a red light so the cars weren't actually moving.

I kept going. There was a scary moment where I almost tripped, but I didn't and I kept going. I ran around the next corner and ducked into an alleyway. Rachel saw and followed me in, following after me even as I climbed and jumped over the fence.

"Tobias!" she shouted as she ran. "Stop! I just want to talk to you!"

Normally those were seven words that I would love to hear, but not now, not like this, not when I had a whole alien species after my head. I couldn't slow down and I darted out of the alleyway onto the next street and kept running.

By now I would admit that I was a little lost. That alleyway had gotten me confused, but I was pretty sure I was close to where I had started. I turned right and ran off into the direction I thought Elfangor's house was in, but then realized I probably shouldn't lead Rachel there and so turned in the opposite direction at the next corner.

"Tobias!" Rachel shouted. "Stop!"

I darted out into the next street only this time there wasn't a red light and the cars honked and screeched as they tried to avoid hitting me.

"Hey! Get outta the road!" one driver screamed as he barely dodged by me.

I didn't stop. Another car screeched, pulling itself sideways as it tried to avoid me, and almost rammed into the car in the next lane. I jumped back to avoid this incoming pile-up only for my luck to run out. One car couldn't stop in time and hit me right at knee level, sending me flying. I hit the ground hard, my head snapping back to smash into the ground. Light exploded behind my eyes.

Ow.

I was dazed. I couldn't move. My legs and head hurt like hell and I just lay there as Rachel finally caught up with me and raced out to my side. All the traffic had stopped.

"Tobias!"

Around this time the driver of the car that had hit me had gotten out of his car and ran to my side as well. He seemed to do a double take at the sight of my face, but then, after a pause, he was right there with Rachel trying to help me sit up.

"Are you alright?" he kept asking frantically. "Does anything hurt?"

"Tobias," Rachel said, looking at me in concern, "Are you okay?"

I tried to blink, but everything was kind of spinning and my head hurt too much. I closed my eyes and reached up a hand to touch the growing bump on the back of my head. "Ow." Okay. I didn't want to do that anymore. I let my hand fall back into my lap and my head kind of fell down so that my chin rested on my chest. I rested most of my weight on Rachel and just kind of sat there.

"Does anything hurt?" the driver—a nondescript man in his forties—asked again, still looking somewhat frantic, but calming down.

"My head," I admitted vaguely, not quite keeping up with what was going on. "It hurts."

"We need to get you to a hospital," the driver said with a serious frown. "You could have a concussion." And he started trying to get me to stand up. "Come on. I'll drive you." Rachel started helping him as well, but I really couldn't afford to go to a hospital. I knew that even in my dazed state.

"No," I tried protesting, trying to shake off their hands, but it hurt too much. I winced and ducked my head lower. "No hospitals," I got out.

"Tobias, you need to see a doctor," Rachel said, still concerned.

"No doctors," I said vaguely and then I started to kind of drift off. I must have blacked out for a moment because the next thing I knew I was in a car, Rachel at my side.

"Wha--?" I asked, fighting my way back into consciousness and looking around blearily.

"Calm down," Rachel said, turning away from the window to look at me. "We're just going to the hospital."

"No hospital," I tried protesting again. "I can't . . ." There was a harder than normal throb in my head and I winced. "Ow." I brought my hand back up to touch the bump on the back of my head, just kind of testing it out. Was it getting bigger?

But then I remembered that I needed to get out of here before they could get me to the hospital and turned back to that. Turning to the door, I tried the handle. Maybe I could jump out of the car and roll off to the side. But the door was locked and I couldn't find the switch to unlock it. I kind of just fumbled around with my hand trying to find it, my eyes unable to focus properly and hand-eye coordination not quite up to par. My head still hurt and my legs ached and I think I really did have a concussion because my brain just didn't seem to be working right.

Rachel, of course, noticed my fumbling. "What are you doing?"

"I need to get out," I muttered and continued to determinedly try and find the lock.

""What, are you just going to jump?" she asked, sounding like she thought I was stupid. "We're going at least 40 mph and you already have a concussion."

"I need to get out," was all I said to this logic.

Rachel rolled her eyes and reached over to grab my hands, pulling them away from the door and just kind of holding them. I blushed and couldn't quite think right. Too embarrassed, I think, though the concussion probably didn't help. Still I didn't do anything for a long moment after one last feeble attempt to free my hands that just left Rachel holding me all the firmer.

Eventually, Rachel, who had turned back to looking out the window, seemed to notice something. "Hey, this isn't the way to the hospital."

What? I turned to look out the window. From what I could tell, she was right, though I still couldn't exactly see all that great. Everything was kind of blurry now.

"Hey!" Rachel said, trying to get the attention of the driver. "I said this isn't the way to the hospital. Where are you taking us?"

The driver didn't reply.

"Hey!" Rachel tried again. "Are you listening to me?" She was starting to get mad now and had let go of my hands. I immediately turned back to fumbling with the door and Rachel started kicking at the seat in front of her. Unfortunately that was the passenger seat so it didn't really have much of an effect. "Where are you taking us?" she demanded. "Do you want me to scream?"

"Go ahead," the driver said without turning back to face us. "Nobody can hear you in here."

Which was probably true since we were on a busy road, so Rachel crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the driver. And it was at that time that I finally found the lock.

"Ha!" I said, triumphant, and flicked the lock switch. The door came unlocked. The driver quickly locked it again.

I frowned and flipped the switch again. The driver locked it again.

This happened again. And again. And again.

"Will you stop that, kid?"

And again. And again. And then we were in the parking lot of the McDonald's by the mall.

The driver turned off the ignition, grabbed a strange looking gun from the dashboard, and stepped out of the car. Opening my door and manhandling me out of it, the driver jabbed the gun into my temple and told Rachel in his most threatening voice, "Get out of the car and come around peacefully or your little friend here gets hurt."

I blinked and tried to focus my vision as my head throbbed and what I assumed was Rachels' blurry silhouette got out of the car.

Then the driver jabbed the gun further into my temple so as to apparently keep Rachel from doing anything rash in an attempt to save me and he motioned with his elbow for Rachel to go ahead. She did and he started dragging me across the parking lot after her.

And let me tell you. It hurts to have a gun jabbed into your temple and to be dragged anywhere when you're already barely holding onto consciousness. So I was a little out of it for the short walk up to the back entrance of the McDonald's. At one point, the driver had to let go of me to knock on the door and that's when Rachel elbowed the guy hard in the gut, grabbed his gun and got me away from our captor all in one move. From what little I could understand of the move, I was very impressed.

"Alright, now I want you to get your hands in the air and sit down on the sidewalk." I don't think Rachel really knew how to use the gun but she was doing a very good impression of knowing how.

The guy, now suddenly scared for his life, followed Rachel's orders and got down on the sidewalk.

"And now you stay there and we're gonna go, okay?" Rachel said, still sounding as threatening as she could possibly force her voice to sound. Which was very threatening.

I think the guy nodded then. I had to close my eyes for a moment. Either way Rachel suddenly grabbed me by the elbow and started leading me away. We got about ten feet and then Rachel threw the gun off into the bushes and shouted, "Run!"

And we ran.

We ran. We ran some more. And we dodged around the next corner and ran.

I was getting really dizzy and eventually had to kind of stumble to a stop to put a hand on my head and make the world stop spinning. But Rachel grabbed my hand then and started pulling me along, looking behind her every few steps to make sure we weren't being followed. I didn't think we were, but then we turned around the next corner and there was the driver driving slowly down the street, looking this way and that. I had no time to wonder how he could have possibly gotten there that quickly. Rachel and I immediately ducked down an alleyway and then out the other side and continued to run.

"Here! In here!" Rachel shouted and pointed at the nearest store.

I looked up at the name. It was some fancy specialty boutique. I blinked, not really understanding why she would want to go in there. We were kind of busy running for our lives here. "I don't think now is really the time to shop, do you?" I kind of mumbled.

Rachel rolled her eyes, irritated, and pulled me into the store and then into the back rooms where people were trying on clothes. Shoving me in a stall, she followed me in and then pushed me so that I was sitting down on the little seat. Even I could understand now. We were going to wait in here until the guy looking for us got tired and stopped the search.

"Oh," I said with a dumb nod. "Right." And then I blinked hard and tried to get the world to stop spinning. Resting my pounding head against the stall wall, Rachel and I sat and waited.

We waited for a long time.

--

TBC?


	5. Ch 4: Grab Them!

Again thank you to all that reviewed, including freak show, The Shang Kudarung, Skyflight Erek's Loyalty, Darth Taegous, and metamorphstorm. I love all the reviews I get and they really help with inspiration. And just so you know, I do know what the gun is called, but Tobias doesn't.

--

-

Chapter #4: Grab Them!

-

Eventually, the storeowner was threatening to throw us out if we didn't leave so that they could close shop and Rachel decided that it was probably safe to go outside. Following me out of the boutique dressing room, she ignored the storeowner's irritated looks and walked with me back out onto the sidewalk. It was actually just starting to get dark; it being around the time people would be going home to eat dinner. Undoubtedly Elfangor had returned home and found me missing by this point and I wondered what he would think about my disappearance. Would he think I had been taken? I hoped not. I didn't really want to worry him.

"You still need to go to the hospital," Rachel immediately said after we got outside as she turned to look at me critically.

My hand on my head, I was trying to focus past the headache that hadn't gone any better in the last few hours and, hearing this, I groaned, "Rachel . . ."

"I mean it," Rachel said, looking determined. "You don't look good."

"I can't," I managed to say. "More people will just come after me. I need to get home."

That successfully distracted her, but with something I really couldn't talk about. "Why _are_ there people after you?" Rachel asked, looking curious.

I couldn't think of anything good to say to that. "They just . . . they just are," I said lamely, a bit more concerned with making sure my brain didn't beat out of my skull. The headache had concentrated to a fine point in the back of my skull where the bump was and it throbbed with the beating of my heart. On the plus side though, my vision was clearing up and I could now see more than blurry shapes. I could actually pick out some details in things. Like I noticed that my lame remark had started to make Rachel look somewhat bothered.

"You didn't kill anybody, did you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at me suspiciously.

I hadn't expected that. My head jerked and I stared at her in surprise. "No!" But that outburst had really hurt and I put my hand back on my head and tried not to groan out loud. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I attempted to try out a well-known strategy. I had practiced this strategy almost every time my uncle got a bit too drunk and started taking his anger out on me. The idea was: If I thought that it didn't hurt then it wouldn't hurt. And so I took my hand off my head and tried to look completely fine. "Right," I said firmly, pushing past the pain, "I need to get home."

"Oh no you aren't," Rachel said, in a way that made it clear that I was going to listen to her or regret the consequences. "You're going to see a doctor."

"Rachel!" I said, turning to her to try and get her to see sense. "I just told you. I can't. It's too dangerous."

But Rachel wasn't going to let me out of her sight without me doing as she said in some way. "Then at least come with me to Cassie's," she said, trying for a compromise. "She can take a look at you."

I frowned slightly and tried to remember what I knew of Cassie. "Aren't her parents vets?"

"So? She can still look at you. And nobody will have to know. You can go back to wherever you're hiding without anybody even knowing you were gone."

"I think they know I 'm gone by now." I sighed, but had to admit I was beat. "Alright. I'll go with you to Cassie's." I looked up to give Rachel a narrow look. "But _only_ to Cassie's, okay? I really need to get home."

"Relax," Rachel said, giving me a trust-me smile. "I'm not the one out to kidnap you or whatever, remember?"

--

It was a long walk to Cassie's and my headache was still not going away. I was hoping that, even if she couldn't do anything else, Cassie could at least give me some aspirin. But eventually we made it to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Rachel knocked on the door. I quickly hid off to the side in the bushes, not wanting anybody but Rachel and, I guess, Cassie to see me. Just as a safety precaution. I didn't really want to be chased by any more people today. Two was enough.

Cassie's dad answered the door. "Rachel," he said, opening the door with a smile. "How are you?"

"Hey, Mr. Martin," Rachel replied, smiling back at the older man. "I'm good. Is Cassie home?"

"She is," Cassie's dad said. "I'll go get her for you." And then he disappeared to go do just that.

A minute later Cassie was at the door. "Rachel?" she said, looking a little confused. "What are you doing here? I thought you went shopping."

"And I thought _you_ had chores," Rachel replied, apparently deciding not to mention that she had finished shopping hours ago. "That's why you didn't come with me, remember?" She indicated Cassie's slightly too small overalls pointedly. "I don't see any bird poop on those jeans."

"I finished up about an hour ago," Cassie explained easily. "And I was really dirty so I decided to change."

Rachel looked suspicious. "And since when have you cared about wearing poop-less jeans?"

Cassie blushed slightly, obviously a bit embarrassed. "Jake's actually supposed to come by in a bit. To study," she hurried to add, as if to ward off any thoughts of what she and Jake might actually be doing.

"Ohhhh," Rachel said, drawing out the word and looking amused. "Jake. Well that explains everything."

"Rachel . . ." Cassie said warningly.

Rachel just smiled and looked like she was about to make another comment when Cassie interrupted.

"Rachel, was there something you needed?" Cassie asked a little too patiently, obviously not wanting to be teased any further. "You don't usually just drop by for no reason."

Obviously remembering the point of this visit, Rachel got serious. "You're right. I don't," she said with a nod. "And there is." She turned to look back in my direction and called out, "Tobias! You can come out now."

I stood up from behind the bush I was hiding behind and tried to brush the dirt off my pants as I approached the door.

"You remember Tobias, right?" Rachel asked, turning back to Cassie. "He was in my Chemistry class?"

Cassie stared at me for a second, wide-eyed in surprised recognition, but then turned back to Rachel and nodded. "Yeah I remember." She glanced at me again. "Isn't he supposed to be missing?"

"Yeah, well guess what?" Rachel said, "I found him. I literally ran into him on the street. Thing is, he's a little stupid and he tried to run away from me. All I want to do is talk and he runs right out into traffic and gets hit by a car." She turned to me to give me an annoyed look. "I don't think I've told you yet how stupid that was."

And don't think I haven't been berating myself for doing it ever since. But I didn't say that. All I said was, "I know."

Cassie was looking back at me in concern. "Are you okay?"

Rachel answered for me. "I think he has a concussion. He's been acting weird ever since he got hit even though he's been trying to hide it. So we were wondering if you could maybe take a look at him."

"Oh, I don't know," Cassie said, looking a little alarmed at the request. "I'm not a doctor."

"Yeah, but you're the closest thing we have," Rachel told her. "He doesn't want to go to the hospital because he thinks people are going to start chasing him again."

Now Cassie looked confused. "Again?"

I nodded, but Rachel answered. "Yeah. The guy who almost ran him over turned out to be this major weirdo. He tried to kidnap us and then chased us when we got away."

Cassie still looked concerned, and now a little weirded out, but she put on a wary smile and said, "Well you've certainly had an eventful day."

Rachel sighed and ran a hand through her long blonde hair, pushing it out of her eyes. "Yeah. Too eventful."

"Yeah. Huh." Cassie shook her head at the strangeness of life. "Well then," Cassie said, getting down to business as she stepped out of the door. "Let's go to the barn and I'll take a look at you."

--

A minute later we were in Cassie's barn and Cassie was pointing a small flashlight into my eyes. First the left and then the right and then back again. Finally, apparently getting what she was looking for, Cassie stepped back and turned off the flashlight.

"You were right," she said to Rachel. "He does have a concussion."

Rachel looked as if all of her suspicions had been confirmed, which they kind of had. "I knew it. Can you do anything about it?"

Cassie shook her head. "Not really. With concussions you just have to kind of wait for them to go away on their own.' She turned to address me now. "I can give you some aspirin, but that's about it."

"Anything," I said, just wanting the headache to go away.

"Alright then I'll go get it." And Cassie left to go do just that, coming back a minute later with a couple pills and a glass of water. "Here, you go."

I took them gratefully but, before I could stick them in my mouth, I stopped and looked at the pills. They were longer than any Advil I'd ever seen and white on top of that. "These don't look like aspirin."

"They're a special kind," Cassie explained, "They're extra strength. We give them to the animals, but they should be just fine for a human."

"Oh, okay." I was really in too much pain to be suspicious of her motives, especially when she had been nothing but nice to me so far. So I quickly downed the pills and drained the glass of water she gave me along with them. It may have just been my imagination, but by the time I put the glass down I was already feeling better.

"Why don't I get you a bandage for your head too?" Cassie offered. "You've got some blood back there."

"I do?" I said, not having realized this.

"He does?" Rachel echoed. "I didn't notice anything."

Reaching back to touch the bump at the back of my head, I drew my fingers back dry. No blood in sight. I looked at Cassie in question.

"Well it's dry now, of course," she said, "but you never know. And a bandage couldn't hurt anything."

That made sense, though I wasn't so sure about the whole my head is bleeding thing. Still, Cassie had been nothing but nice to me so far and Rachel did trust her so . . . "Well, okay, I guess," I said then shrugged. "I mean, why not?"

Cassie smiled. "Great. I'll be just a minute. I need to go find the tape." And then she quickly left to apparently go do this.

And as she left Rachel came closer to try and see the back of my head. Bending my head forward so that her fingers could probe the large bump, I tried not to complain out loud at the touch though I did wince.

"I don't see any blood," Rachel finally said, her inspection of my head thankfully over. She sounded slightly troubled. "But why would Cassie lie about something like that?"

Not really knowing Cassie all that well, I just shrugged. Then I yawned though I tried to cover it up. I was starting to get tired which was weird since it couldn't have been any later than seven o'clock.

Rachel and I didn't talk while Cassie was gone so it was silent for a long while. Cassie was apparently having some trouble trying to find the tape, because she was taking a long time. And as the minutes passed, I grew more and more tired. My body felt weighed down and heavy and my eyes were struggling to stay open.

Shaking my head, I tried to stay awake, my eyelids growing heavy and falling closed of their own accord only for me to snap awake again and begin the cycle anew.

It was strange. I hadn't been this tired minutes ago. It was like it was coming on all of a sudden out of nowhere. I yawned again and blinked hard, trying to keep my eyes open.

A few minutes later, Cassie still hadn't returned.

"What's taking her so long?" Rachel asked, obviously starting to get concerned though she masked it with irritation.

"I dunno," I kind of mumbled and then yawned again. I really just wanted to go to sleep. It was getting harder and harder to keep my eyes open and I was starting to wonder if there was something wrong with me because I don't normally become this tired out of nowhere.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked, finally turning away from watching the door of the barn to notice me.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," I mumbled, waving a hand sleepily. "I'm just really tired all of a sudden." I blinked heavy eyelids and tried to focus on Rachel's figure, but I couldn't do it. "I think something's wrong," I mumbled, almost to myself, eyes sliding half-closed.

Watching me carefully, Rachel started to look even more concerned. "Tobias?"

"Something's wrong," I mumbled again, a little louder this time as I was a little more sure of my suspicion, and then I tried to stand up. Pushing myself off the bale of hay I had been sitting on, I was overcome by dizziness and fell right back down onto my seat. Too tired to feel even the littlest bit startled by my inability to stand, I just blinked drowsily. My thoughts were basically: "Wha--?

Cassie still hadn't come back.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked me again, becoming even more concerned.

"Tired . . ." I mumbled and my eyes almost drifted closed only for me to snap awake at the last moment.

This obviously didn't make Rachel feel all that secure and she started to look around herself warily. "You know what? You might be right. Maybe we should leave. C'mon." And she came closer to try to help me stand. We got halfway there before Cassie finally came back.

Stepping back into the barn, Cassie was now holding a copy of the weird gun the driver from that afternoon had had and was pointing it at us. "Oh no. You're not going anywhere."

Rachel let go of my arm, her immediate attention focused on Cassie, and I fell back onto the bale of hay, blinking drowsily but too tired to feel any alarm.

"Cassie?" Rachel tried hesitantly, like she was wondering if her friend was playing a trick on her. But I knew this was no trick. Cassie was a Controller. She'd probably recognized me the minute I'd arrived and this whole thing had been a set up. Those aspirin hadn't been aspirin. They'd been sleeping pills. And God only knows what Cassie had been doing when she'd said she was looking for a bandage.

I tried to stand up my own and, after two or three tries, I finally managed to get to my feet though I swayed unsteadily.

"Cassie, what are you doing?" Rachel asked warily, like Cassie was some wild animal that could at any second pounce.

"What do you think I'm doing, _Rachel_?" "Cassie" responded, turning the gun on Rachel with an evil smirk. "I'm capturing the Andalite bastard child. When Visser Three sees what I've done I'll be promoted for sure."

Obviously none of this meant anything to Rachel, who continued to try and get through to her friend. "Cassie, put down the gun. This isn't like you."

"Cassie" scoffed, not something her body was meant to do, and looked at Rachel in disdain. "Of course this isn't like me. I'm so much better than the Cassie that you know. That Cassie was a spineless, tree-hugging, weakling. Do you know how disgusting it is having to pretend to care about these filthy animals and your pathetic species?" Here "Cassie" smiled slightly. "You should have heard her screams when I first took her body. Now she barely even whimpers."

All of this just confused Rachel and Rachel evidently didn't like being confused. "What?"

"Rachel . . ." I tried to warn her.

"What do you mean 'when I first took her body'? What the hell are you?" Rachel demanded angrily.

"Cassie" just laughed. "What I am doesn't matter. You'll be getting much better acquainted with us very soon." She indicated with her gun for us to move out of the barn. "Now get moving. Follow my orders or . . ." She pointed the gun at a bare patch of floor and pulled the trigger. A laser beam of all things shot out and burned a neat little hole in the wood flooring. "Or that's you," she finished.

By now I was a little bit more awake, just enough that I wasn't falling over where I stood, and I reached out to grab Rachel and pull her closer. We obediently moved out of the barn, "Cassie" following us closely with her gun trained at our backs. Rachel was obviously getting pissed, but she thankfully knew better than to try anything. That is until we got outside where we found Jake waiting in front of a minivan. Obviously that was how they were going to stow us away until we could get to the Yeerk Pool.

Seeing her cousin, Rachel faltered for a moment, obviously still confused, but then she seemed to make a decision that seeing Jake wasn't going to change. I could tell the minute before what she was going to do and I would have stopped her, but she was too quick.

Swinging around before "Cassie" could react, Rachel knocked "Cassie's" gun right out of her hands. Then, grabbing me by the hand, she shouted, "Run!" and we were off. Well I sort of stumbled at the beginning, but then I picked up the pace and we were really off.

"Jake" and "Cassie" immediately came after us. "Cassie" had to take a moment to retrieve her gun, but she was small enough to be really fast and "Jake" was, of course, naturally athletic so they quickly gained on us and soon we had laser beams being shot at our backs and feet.

In a unanimous decision made without talking, we ran for the forest across the meadow behind Cassie's house. I was just hoping that the trees might slow "Jake" and "Cassie" down and give us some added protection from the lasers.

"Tobias! What the _hell _is going on? Why is Cassie chasing us?" Rachel demanded as we ran frantically through the woods. "This is Cassie!"

"I know. I know. Keep running," I said and helped Rachel steady herself after she almost tripped over a tree root. Then we kept running.

We raced through the trees and underbrush, scraping past bushes and scaring the squirrels. Our feet crunched the dead leaves and we climbed over a fallen log.

By now I was acting on pure adrenaline and knew I would collapse at any minute. Already I was stumbling, forcing Rachel to wrap an arm around my waist and help me run. It was slowing us both down, but Rachel wouldn't let go.

"They're after _me_," I had said, after I had tripped for the third time and Rachel had been forced to stop and help drag me back to my feet.

"Don't be stupid," Rachel had replied. "They're after me just as much as you. I've seen too much now. You're just being an idiot again."

She still didn't understand completely what was happening, but she knew that something bad would happen if "Jake" and "Cassie" were to catch up to us and she wasn't going to let me go into that alone.

If you asked me, she was the one being the idiot. This wasn't even her problem. She just hadn't wanted to let me go until she was sure I wasn't going to die and now she was going to be infested because she had shown she cared.

Still we ran. I was slowing with every step, dizziness starting to overwhelm me. My head was swimming. But I didn't want to be infested and Rachel still had a strong grip on my waist so I stumbled on. "Jake" and "Cassie" had been lost for the moment, but they were coming closer with each second.

We stumbled on. Branches cracking under our feet, we were almost walking now and I heard "Jake" and "Cassie" quickly approaching behind us. A laser beam flash fried a leaf inches from my foot and I flinched away.

"Alright, the show's over," "Jake" said, coming into the scene and training his own laser gun at my head. "Now come back with us to the van."

Not letting go of my waist, Rachel stood in front of "Jake", defiant to the end. "And if I say no?"

"Jake" smiled evilly as he turned his gun from my head to hers as "Cassie" finally entered the scene. "Then I'd have to tell you that we really only need the Andalite's bastard. You're just a chance left-over."

"Rachel . . ." I murmured warningly, wishing I didn't have to say this, but worried for Rachel's well being if she were to continue like this. "Just let it go."

"What?" Rachel turned to me, a little shocked. "But Tobias!"

"Let it go," I murmured so that only she could hear. "We can get free later. Sometime when they don't have those guns, I promise."

Looking at me, I was afraid she'd ignore my words, but then Rachel slowly nodded in understanding and made a show of giving up.

"Good," "Jake" said and then passed the rope to "Cassie" so that she could come behind us and tie our arms. With that done, they separated us and turned us around so that they could lead us back to the minivan parked just outside Cassie's house.

Now I only had to worry about keeping my promise. Just how _did_ a person escape from the Yeerk Pool?

--

TBC?


	6. Ch 5: The Yeerk Pool

And yet again, thank you for the reviews especially from Evance, The Shang Kudarung, freak show, Atlastme, and metamorphstorm. I really need to get more creative ways to say that. And I'm glad I shocked some people by making Jake and Cassie Controllers. That's always fun.

And, sorry, but I think this chapter is gonna be a little shorter than normal.

To The Shang Kudarung: I looked at NaNoWriMo and it looks really cool so I signed up. I've never done anything like it but it looks like it could be fun. And I am writing this as I go along. You've found me out. I've found that that's what works for me because then when a character starts doing things I haven't planned (like they always do) I don't have to try and shove it back in its place. But I _do_ have a general idea of what's going to happen. I think.

And to freak show: I'm going to explain how everyone got to be a Controller soon, probably the next chapter. They just need to meet Marco first. Hopefully you like his role in things.

--

-

Chapter #5: The Yeerk Pool

-

I woke to a nightmare. People were locked in cages, screaming, crying, yelling, rattling the bars, everything a person could do while they were trapped. What I assumed were Hork-Bajir guards roamed the premises, going in and out of my line of vision and looking like death on feet. And Rachel was beside me in her own cage, doing her own screaming at the guards and rattling the bars of her metal cage.

Sad to say but five minutes into the car ride over here the drugs had knocked me out only for me to wake up just now, feeling much better, but also a lot worse. _This_ was the Yeerk Pool?

I will remember those cries for help and mercy for the rest of my life. It was horrible. Like Hell had come to Earth.

And Rachel wasn't exactly pleased with me either. "Oh so Sleeping Beauty's awake," she said spitefully when she noticed me sitting up.

"Yeah," I replied, a little embarrassed. This wasn't how I wanted to be remembered by her. As the guy who fell asleep when we were in mortal danger. "Sorry," I tried, sitting up and turning to Rachel somewhat bashfully.

"Never mind," she said shortly, sitting back in her cage to cross her arms over her chest and give me an irritated look. "Just tell me that you have a plan to get us out of here because I've got nothing."

"Um . . ." I said and tried to frantically rack my brain for a plan, any plan. But nothing was immediately coming to mind. "I'll think of one. I swear," I promised as I turned back to Rachel.

Rachel just looked all the more irritated. "That's what you said nearly an hour ago when we were being captured, idiot."

"Well I've been asleep, okay?" I said, trying feebly to defend myself. "I haven't exactly had the time."

"Yeah and who falls asleep in these kinds of situations?" Rachel replied contemptuously. "I mean, honestly. We're about to be killed or who knows what and you fall asleep."

"I was _drugged_," I said, trying to emphasize that it wasn't my fault, but Rachel obviously didn't care.

"So?" was her exact reply to that. "Fight the drug. Don't fall asleep and leave me to be mocked by these creeps on my own." This obviously was only going to start her on a whole other angry spiel. "And that's another thing. Cassie and Jake were being extra creepy and talking about your dad coming to save us. I told them of course he wouldn't because he's dead, but they just laughed." She looked especially annoyed by this and looked to me to demand, "What was that all about? What are you hiding? What is going _on_ here?"

I sighed and sat back in my cage to lean against the wall. She did deserve the truth and it would probably be safer for her if she knew what exactly was going on. And so, in a quiet voice, I started to fill her in on the last month of my life. I told her about the lawyer and Mr. Visser. About finding my dad and having to hide out in his house for a month. About the alien invasion. About everything I had learned of the Yeerks. About everything I could think of.

And at the end of this, Rachel was silent for a long moment. Quiet as she tried to digest the fact that not only were we not alone in the universe, but that we were silently losing a battle for our freedom. Then she spoke, "You know, normally I would say you were crazy and needed some serious medication, but now?" She looked out at the cages of screaming, crying people, at the human and non-human guards. "Now that actually makes sense."

We were silent for another long moment after this, as Rachel was still digesting, but then that quiet was interrupted by a loud knock on Rachel's cage.

"Knock, knock," a voice said cheerfully and I looked up to see a Controller whose body I vaguely recognized in an I've-seen-you-around-somewhere-before-but-can't-quite-remember-where kind of way.

Rachel had no such problems. "Marco?" she gasped, instantly recognizing her cousin's best friend. "They got you too?"

"Yep," "Marco" said cheerfully, "They got me but good. Of course," here he looked a little secretive, "that doesn't exactly mean I've been taken out of the count." And, with that cryptic statement, he squatted down in front of Rachel and my cages and, looking this way and that to make sure no one was looking, quietly slipped Rachel a tiny, folded up piece of paper.

"That's a map of the Yeerk Pool with all of the exits and entrances marked in red, including those through the air shafts," he explained, lowering his voice furtively so that only Rachel and I could hear.

Unfolding the little bit of paper, Rachel blinked then showed me that that was in fact what it was.

"All of the cages are electric and hooked up to the mainframe," "Marco" continued, "so in exactly fifteen minutes, when thirty or so cages including yours mysteriously unlock, I want you up and running for one of those exits." Here "Marco" gave us an especially serious look. "I'm putting my neck out on this one for you so you had better escape or I'll come after you myself."

"Why _are_ you helping us?" Rachel asked, looking suspicious. "I mean, you're a Yeerk, aren't you?"

"Marco" smirked. "Like I said, I may be a Yeerk but that doesn't mean I'm completely out for the count." Putting up a hand like he was in Boy Scouts, he continued with a solemn yet still amused look on his face, "The YPM lives on."

"YPM?" Rachel repeated, obviously confused.

But I recognized the acronym and gasped, "The Yeerk Peace Movement!"

"You got it in one," "Marco" said, still amused as he tilted his head my way in recognition. "And now I've gotta go."

"Wait!" Rachel said before he could stand and "Marco" quickly turned to her.

"What?" he asked impatiently.

"What about Cassie and Jake?" Rachel asked. "Are they in one of the cages that'll open?"

Here "Marco" looked at Rachel sympathetically. "I'm sorry. Jake and Cassie aren't in the cages. They aren't scheduled to feed today and it takes at least a day for promotions to go through."

Rachel looked dismayed. "But . . ."

"I'm sorry," "Marco" said again and then he quickly stood up and banged a hand down hard on my cage before Rachel could ask anything more. "Just you wait, Andalite bastard," he said loudly, I suppose just in case anybody was listening, "We'll see how cocky you are when your father abandons you and you become one of us." That said, he walked off.

"So do we believe him?" Rachel immediately asked, hunching herself closer to my cage so that we could talk without others overhearing and hiding the map in her hands. Obviously she wanted to believe him, but she also didn't want to because that would mean Cassie and Jake couldn't be rescued.

"I don't see why not," I replied with a small shrug. "I mean, what else can they do to us? We're already about to be infested."

"Yeah, but he's a _Yeerk_," Rachel said, with an emphasis on the name. She was acclimating herself to the idea of invading aliens rather well.

"I know, I know," I said, "I don't really trust him either, but it's either this or we sit here peacefully without even trying to escape before we're infested."

That made up Rachel's mind. "Alright, so we do it. Do you have a watch?"

I shook my head. "Just be prepared to run."

And so we sat, preparing ourselves to run at any minute. Fifteen minutes passed almost painfully slowly as we waited for the telltale click of a lock on our cages. But it never seemed to come. Instead there was a shout of rage from somewhere off in the side corridors.

"Andalites! They're here!" some Human-Controller yelled and all of the guards began to run enmasse in the direction of the screams.

There was the sound of a battle being played out somewhere out of sight. More shouts and screams of rage, feet moving and running back and forth, Andalite hooves clopping on the stone floor, the sound of bodies dropping, all of those kinds of things. And then the sound of the lock clicking open.

"Let's go!" Rachel shouted and shot out of her cage.

I came out just as fast, but then I was somewhat undecided. Did I go try to help Elfangor and escape that way? Or did I try and escape my own way?

"Tobias!" Rachel said, coming back to grab me by the arm and begin dragging me along with her. "Come on!"

That decided it for me and I started to run. Rachel let go of my arm and we ran side by side out of the actual pool area. By our side, the almost thirty other people that had been freed were running as fast as they could. And they were actually escaping because the Yeerks were a little busy dealing with the Andalite attack.

By then all of the Yeerks had been alerted to the Andalite attack, and maybe to the fact that the hosts were escaping, and the alarms began to sound. Loud and piercing, they boomed throughout the Pool as all of the escapees ran.

And, the Controllers having been alerted, it became a little harder to escape than before as we kept running into Controllers that were on their way to the Pool to help their brothers with either the Andalite attack or the escaping hosts. We punched and kicked at the Human-Controllers, fear and adrenaline giving us tremendous strength, and ducked around the one or two Hork-Bajir. We got maybe halfway to freedom before the Controllers became a serious threat to our escape and everyone began to panic.

TSEEEEW! TSEEEEW!

The person escaping on my right got hit right in the chest with a laser beam and he was down, probably dead. That sent the others into an even worse panic and people started to shove and push their ways through the corridors, making it so that nobody was going anywhere fast.  
TSEEEEW! TSEEEEW!

Another escapee down and now the Controllers were right ahead. Three Hork-Bajir right in front of us, blocking the path, we panicked and turned around to run back the way we came only to run right into the battle with the Andalites.

TSEEEEW!

A small girl, maybe 10yrs old was killed right in front of me. She just fell over dead.

TSEEEEW!

Maril jumped over a downed escapee and turned around to face the Controllers chasing us. His tail shot out again and again to lob off the heads of the Human-Controllers and gut the Hork-Bajir.

TSEEEEEW! TSEEEEW!

Human-Controllers continued to fire their strange laser guns at every non-Yeerk. And Hork-Bajir pushed right into the middle of the group of escapees and Andalites and began to use the deadly blades they were born with, slashing left and right. Blood was spilled, coating the floor and I slipped, barely scrambling to my feet in time to avoid a Hork-Bajir stepping right on my head. Taxxons were even introduced as they immediately crowded into the already crowded area and began to feed on the downed escapees.

TSEEEEW!

Elfangor and Erithin worked together to chop through the masses of Controllers attacking them. Blood spurted everywhere from the now headless humans, coating both the escapees and Andalite in the red fluid. I got some in my mouth and, disgusted, I spit this out.

TSEEEEW!

A shot right where my foot had been seconds before!

Aximili was by himself, but holding his own against a pair of Hork-Bajir. Those dead, he jumped over their downed bodies to lob off the head of a Human-Controller with a gun.

Meanwhile, the escapees were still panicking, running this way and that, just trying to escape though this was almost impossible as the Controllers continued to arrive.

TSEEEW!

Another escapee down, another Taxxon going into a feeding frenzy.

TSEEEW!

Erithin was hit by a stray laser and his tail faltered as a burnt out patch appeared on his left haunch. Another Human-Controller used this time to hit him again, only for Erithin to dodge just in time and flick his tail around so that the Controller's head rolled off his shoulders. More blood spurted out.

TSEEEW! TSEEEW!

A laser beam hit the back of my foot and I tripped, falling to the floor only to almost be stepped on by Maril.

(Tobias! Get out of the way!) he shouted, almost falling over me only to steady himself and snap his bladed tail out to slash at a Taxxon who thought I looked like a good meal.

Scrambling to my feet again, I ducked out of the way of a wild swing from a Hork-Bajir and tried to find Rachel in the chaos. We had been separated at the door by a Hork-Bajir coming straight at us with a gun.

TSEEEW!

A bleeding Hork-Bajir roared angrily and sunk its arm blades right into an escapee, pulling it out with blood all over it and immediately trying to slash at Aximili. Aximili responded by snapping out his tail, missing the Hork-Bajir by inches as the other alien dodged out of the way.

TSEEEEEW! TSEEEEW!

Elfangor snapped his tail out and took out a nearby Human-Controller. Blood spurted out of the gaping wound across the Controllers neck and the human went down choking on his own blood.

TSEEEW!

Another shot at me, but I ducked just in time. Adrenaline pumping through my veins, I nearly jumped out of my skin when somebody suddenly grabbed my hand.

"Tobias! This way!" Rachel shouted, appearing out of nowhere and obviously having consulted the map. Following her, dodging past Elfangor locked in battle with another Hork-Bajir, the two of us broke off from the chaos to run down a quieter part of the Yeerk base.

"Which way?" I asked as I panted for breath when we reached an empty area. Rachel had grabbed up one of those strange guns from one of the dead Human-Controllers and had used this to get rid of any Controllers that had come our way. Luckily, there hadn't been many as most of them were already at the battles site.

Rachel consulted the map again then pointed to the right. "This way. There's an air vent in the next room that leads outside.

"Are we gonna be small enough?" I asked, somewhat worried that we'd only get stuck in there.

"Marco wouldn't have given us this map of air vents if he thought we'd be too big," Rachel replied, obviously deciding to trust the Yeerk controlling Marco's head.

And so we went into the room with the supposed air vent. It was high up on the ceiling, but there were chairs in the room so we just used those to reach it.

Pulling myself up and into the vent after Rachel, the two of us began the long crawl through the vents. I had a rather nice view of Rachel's rear end as we went and, embarrassed by this, I tried to avoid looking though I couldn't avoid it completely because I did need to look where I was going or else I would run right into her. Every once and a while she would have to stop to consult the map and would pause in the middle of the vent.

In the distance we could hear the screams and dying yells of various Hork-Bajir and Human-Controllers, but I tried to not think about that as we crawled. That battle back there would be in my nightmares for years.

Eventually we came to the end of the vent and Rachel turned around—a really complicated maneuver when in such a small space—so that she could kick the vent covering off. She did this and then slipped out, falling the six feet to the ground below us to land in a crouch. Following her out, I didn't land nearly as nicely and fell on my ass. Only my dignity really hurt, Rachel helped me stand up and I looked around at where the vent had led us. We were in a an alleyway behind what looked like a 7-11 and, walking out onto the sidewalk, I was surprised to find that we were only a block away from the school.

"So now what?" I asked, turning back to Rachel.

Rachel looked back up at the vent worriedly. "Where do you think Cassie and Jake are? Do you think they were in there fighting?"

I didn't know really and, thinking about them and Marco, I frowned. "I'm sure they're fine," I eventually said lamely.

At that, Rachel turned to me and said sarcastically, "Right. They've only been taken over by alien slugs. Nothing to worry about."

Well she had me there. "I mean, besides that."

But Rachel ignored that as she was already on to something else, a serious look crossing her face. "We are going to rescue them, right?" she asked me. "I mean, we aren't going to leave them like that, are we? We can't."

I didn't know about that either and I frowned. "But what can we do?"

"Well you've got your dad and his friends, right? Weren't they the ones in there kicking serious Yeerk butt?"

"Yeah . . ." I said warily, thinking I knew where this was going.

"So get them to save them," Rachel said. "I mean, if anyone can do it, they can."

"I guess I could ask," I said, a little doubtfully, "but I don't think they're gonna be happy with me for a while. I mean, I wasn't exactly supposed to leave the house."

But Rachel looked determined. "Well get them to save them or I'm gonna go down there on my own. I'm getting Cassie and Jake back, no matter what."

And the scary thing was, she actually looked serious.

--

TBC?


	7. Ch 6: Father and Son

Again, thanks to all reviewers.

To The Shang Kudarung: Yes, you _are_ evil. I'm not even an English major. What do I think I'm doing writing a novel? I must be crazy.

To metamorphstorm: Thanks!

To Darth Taegous: It's okay that you missed them so long as you keep reading, right? And thank you!

To Small-Fri: Thanks to you too! I hope this update was soon enough.

To Skyflight Erek's Loyalty: Thank you! I was really worried about that battle scene because I've never actually written one before so it's nice to hear it worked out okay.

To freak show: I really do need to start with the whole Elfangor-Tobias relationship part of this story, don't I? I'm gonna try and do it in this chapter (See the title!). And thanks for reviewing! Oh, and I lied. I said it would be explained how the others became Controllers in this chapter but then it turns out that that won't happen until probably the next chapter. And I mean it this time. Really.

And to Evance: And thanks to you too. I will definitely try not to let the plot peter out. Maybe you could warn me if you see it doing that?

AN: Oh, and it's been a long time since I've read the first book so I forget what it really felt like for them to touch the blue box so I'm just gonna make something up. Just so you know. And this is gonna be another slightly short chapter.

--

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Chapter #6: Father and Son

-

"Well, I suppose I should probably get home before my mom freaks out any more than she's already gonna freak out," Rachel eventually said, but then, even as she said this, we both looked down at her clothes. Even Rachel hadn't been able to get out of the battle without any bloodstains, though on her they looked like a personal fashion choice.

"Um . . ." I said uncertainly, taking in all of the blood. "Do you want to borrow some clothes, maybe?"

She looked at herself and then at my own bloodstained outfit and me. "I'd say we should buy some new clothes, but the stores are closed and that freak with the car that ran you over still has my purse. People are gonna freak if we go anywhere like this. They'll think we committed a murder."

I looked down at myself. I did kind of look like a murderer. "Yeah . . ." I said slowly. "Maybe we should stay off the regular streets then. You know, just use the alleyways and things."

Rachel looked skeptical of this idea. "We're gonna need to use a main street eventually. My house is all the way across town."

And suddenly I realized something major. "I don't even really know where my house _is_."

"What?" Rachel asked.

"Well I have a basic idea, but I don't really know the specifics," I explained, wide-eyed as I realized this. "When Maril led me there after the whole lawyer situation he used this really complicated route and we basically circled the area like three times in three different ways before finally getting there."

"So you don't know how to get home," Rachel summarized, looking at me like I was an idiot. "Why did you even leave in the first place if you didn't know how to get back?"

"I was only gonna go like three blocks," I said, starting to get a little afraid. What if I had to wander around with all this blood on me for hours? What if I _never_ found my way home? Still I continued, "All I needed to do was retrace my path. It's not like I _knew_ I was gonna end up on the other side of town." Getting an idea, I calmed somewhat and continued again, "But I know the basic area and the actual address so all I have to do is wander around until I find that and I'm good."

"It's getting late though and you can't exactly wander around lost in those clothes," Rachel said logically. "Maybe you should come home with me."

I was unsure about this idea. "Are you sure? Won't your mom, you know, freak out about you bringing a guy home so late?"

"Like she's not gonna freak out anyway?" Rachel replied rhetorically. "I should've been home hours ago.

I ignored this and continued, "And what if she recognizes me? You know, from the news? I can't take that chance. Besides, Elfangor and the others probably expect me to come home tonight and I'm sure they're already probably pretty mad at me. I should just go home."

"Then I guess you're just gonna have to wander around lost for the rest of the night," Rachel said as if this was going to deter me. Maybe on any other day it would have, but not today. I'd had enough for today and I really just wanted to get home. "With who knows how many Controllers out there," she continued to try and convince me, "And policemen. And dogs."

I looked confused at that last one. "Dogs?"

"Yeah, they'll smell the blood on you and start barking, waking up everybody in the neighborhood so that they can look outside to find out what the dogs are barking at and find you covered in blood."

Right. Well, I was determined and so that wouldn't deter me either. "Well then I guess I'm just gonna have to take that chance," I said.

"Fine," Rachel said with a shrug, as if it wasn't any of her business what stupid things I did. "You're funeral. I guess I'll see you later then." And so she waved at me and started off for her own house.

But, before she left completely, I had a thought and called out, "Wait!"

Having only gotten a few feet away up the sidewalk, Rachel turned back around to give me an impatient look. "What?"

"It's just . . ." I hesitated before revealing my concern, but finally did say it, "What if the Yeerks are after you too now? I mean, they know your face. They can come get you anytime."

Rachel laughed. "Like I'm gonna let some slug get a hold of me."

"But still . . ." I said, starting to get worried now that I thought about the possibility.

"Oh fine," Rachel said, obviously deciding that she would play along. "Tell me your number and if the Yeerks come after me I'll call."

There was just one problem with that. "Um . . . I actually don't really know my phone number."

"You don't know your phone number," Rachel repeated flatly, as if this was some huge deal, but then continued despite this, "Fine. Then tell me your address and if I can get away from the slugs I'll come straight to you."

I wasn't sure if I should really be giving out Elfangor's address, but what else could I do? Rachel needed some way to find me and, like I had said, I didn't know Elfangor's number. So I told her the street name and house number and then we said our goodbyes again. Throwing off any lingering doubts, I turned in what I hoped was the right direction and started off on my quest to find Elfangor's house.

--

It took me a long while and a lot of sneaking around, but I eventually did find Elfangor's house again and, starting to feel nervous as I tried to imagine what the Andalites' reaction to my return would be, I slowly walked up the drive and hesitantly knocked on the door. I still didn't exactly feel comfortable enough there that I could just enter on my own.

It took a moment, but then Elfangor was at the door in his human morph. "Tobias," he said with no visible emotion and then stepped back to let me in.

Feeling completely ashamed and embarrassed, I ducked my head and walked further into the house and into the living room where Maril, Erithin, and Aximili were all sitting around in their human morphs. They'd obviously been waiting for a while because they had an empty pizza box open on the coffee table with only a slice of Hawaiian pizza left. I was surprised they even had that. Erithin went as crazy over pizza as Aximili went over Cinnabons. Which was pretty crazy.

All three of them turned to look at me as I entered the room. Then Elfangor came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Why don't you take a seat," was all he said.

I could already tell this was not going to turn out pretty, but I still took a seat on the edge of the couch next to Aximili. But then, with a look from Elfangor, all of the others suddenly decided that they needed to get home to their scoops and they stood up to leave. It took another five minutes, but then Elfangor and I were alone in the house.

"So . . ." Elfangor said into the silence as he took a seat in his armchair. "You decided to go for a walk."

He still wasn't showing any emotion and I cringed, but didn't say anything.

Elfangor continued, "You decided to go for a walk when I expressly told you that you were to stay inside."

Now I spoke up. "I'm sorry."

Elfangor ignored that. "Tell me. Just what was it you hoped to achieve by ignoring my orders?"

"I . . ." I studied my hands intensely, not wanting to look up at Elfangor's face. "I just wanted to get out," I said feebly, all of my reasoning no longer seeming quite as good as it had before I'd left.

"Did you not realize what going outside would mean for you?" Elfangor asked. I could tell he was trying to hold himself back from saying anything he would regret or from treating me like one of his men. I was his son, not his soldier and I could see him trying to remember that with every word. It must've been hard because I still felt like he was drilling me.

"I thought they wouldn't recognize me. I mean, it's been a whole month!" I said, finally looking up. "I thought they would've forgotten about me by now."

"And what would make you think that?" Elfangor said, maybe overly patiently.

At that, I looked down at my hands again, not wanting to say this next thing but knowing I had to explain. "Because I'm not that important," I said softly.

"Tobias . . ." Obviously still angry, Elfangor looked at me as if to show me that what he said next was critical. "You have to understand that I am one of the Yeerk's number one enemies. You are my son. They will do anything to get their hands on you because anything they do to you will only hurt me."

I sighed. "I know, I know." And I did know, at least on some higher, non-connected level. I could admit that the fact that I was his son, and all of the things that came with that title, hadn't exactly hit me yet. He was still just a stranger to me. Plus, I wasn't exactly used to having a dad or having anybody care what happened to me and I didn't know what to do with a person who did. Though I don't think Elfangor really knew what to do with me either.

"It's just . . ." I continued as I kept looking down at my lap, wanting to make him understand that what he was asking me to realize was going against a lifetime of hard experience even if by saying this I was making myself look really pathetic. "Nobody else has ever really cared about me enough to bother remembering me for long amounts of time, even if only in a negative way. I mean, my uncle's probably forgotten all about me and he's pretty much all the family I have besides my aunt."

I didn't look up so I didn't see how this admittance affected Elfangor, but for a moment there was silence. Then Elfangor sighed and said, all traces of anger gone and replaced with only weary acceptance, "Then I suppose it is my fault for not pressing the importance of this understanding on you. I simply assumed you would understand how relentless the Yeerks can be."

I looked up then, not wanting him to take the blame for something that was my fault. "No, it's my fault. I should have realized it on my own. I mean, you know the Yeerks better than I do so when you said I couldn't go outside I should have realized you had a reason for that."

"Tobias," Elfangor said, looking me in the eye. "This is not your war. The Yeerks are not your enemy. You shouldn't—

"But the Yeerks _are_ my enemy," I broke in, "This _is_ my war. I mean, remember, they're the ones invading _my_ planet. I should've listened to you. That's it."

Elfangor smiled slightly, but it looked almost sad. "That's almost exactly what Maril said."

I frowned, a little confused by this. Why would Maril have said anything like that? "What?"

Elfangor leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees and hands clasped, suddenly even more serious than before. "Tobias," he said, carefully not looking at me. "What if I was to say that there was a way that you could go outside whenever you wished?"

My frown deepened. But if there was a way I could go outside why had I not heard about it until now? "What do you mean?"

Still Elfangor wouldn't look at me. "I mean, what if there was a way for you to go outside without being recognized?"

"You mean, like by wearing a disguise?" I asked, trying to understand what he was getting at.

"Something like that," Elfangor replied vaguely, "but I'm talking about a little bit more than a disguise. I mean . . . I'm talking about . . ." Here Elfangor looked up into my eyes to continue seriously, "giving you the power to morph."

I stared at him. I didn't know much about the morphing power, but I did know one thing about Andalites. "Isn't there, like, a law against that kind of thing?"

Elfanger sat back in his chair and took a deep breath before he answered. "Yes . . . yes there is. The Law of Seerow's Kindness. We would be breaking the Andalite's most crucial law, but I truly cannot think of another way."

"I can just . . . stay inside, you know," I offered, though why, I don't know. The power to morph and leave this house whenever I wished would be amazing. "I know better than to leave now," I still continued.

Elfangor shook his head sadly. "I can't ask you to do that and I don't expect you to be able to comply. You should be free to go outside. It would be a fate worse than death to expect you to live out the rest of your life in these four walls. Besides," he continued, "you are my son and as such the technology is your right. But Tobias," Elfangor looked up at me again. "The decision has already been made to give you the technology, but you must still make a choice."

Okay . . . I thought warily. "What kind of choice?" I asked.

"You said that this is your war," Elfanger said in response to that, not really answering my question. "That the Yeerks are your enemy," he continued, before looking at me with a strangely intent expression, "Did you really mean that?"

What was he asking that for? "Um . . . yeah. I guess," I said then shrugged. "I mean, sure."

"Do not take this lightly," Elfangor chided.

"I'm not. Really," I said.

Elfangor frowned, obviously not quite convinced, but still he continued, "Then the choice is whether you wish to fight or not. Whether you would help us or go on living your own life."

Elfangor went on to explain what would happen if I were to choose the second choice. "If you were to go on living your life you would acquire several human DNAs, most likely including your uncle, and then we would teach you how to meld those DNAs into a single form. You would then stay over the two hour limit to be stuck in that form and be put into an orphanage where you would pretend to have no memory so that you could hopefully be adopted into another family."

So I would essentially become an entirely different person only so that a family that might actually be worse than my real one could adopt me? No way.

Elfangor continued to tell me about the first choice. "But if you were to choose to fight, you would stay hidden in this house. You would become one of my men and I would expect full obedience. No more of this sneaking out of the house without my permission."

That sounded much better despite how militaristic it sounded. And besides, ever since I'd first learned of this war I had wanted to help out. I had figured it was my right as a person of this planet, but I hadn't figured out a way that I could actually be useful. So I told Elfangor, "I want to fight."

Elfangor looked almost pained by this. "Are you sure? Maybe you should take some time to think it through."

I shook my head. "No, I'm positive. I want to fight. It's my planet. I wanna help."

"But you don't have to," Elfangor said, obviously trying to change my mind. "This war is not something to be taken lightly. You will be hurt. You may die."

"I don't care," I said firmly, sure in my decision, "I wanna help."

Elfangor sighed and looked defeated, his human face suddenly seeming much older than the 35 it appeared to be. "Very well then. If I can't change your mind." And, with that, he got out of his chair and went back into his study to remain there for a long moment before returning, having demorphed to his Andalite form and now holding a strange blue box.

"What's that?" I asked curiously as I stood up from my seat to get a closer look at the strange box.

(This) Elfangor said, (Is the Escafil Device.) Holding the box out, he nodded at me and said, (Place your hand on the top.)

Somewhat unsure, I nevertheless followed his command and put my hand on the top of the box. Not sure what I was supposed to be doing, I felt something almost like a jolt of electricity and quickly jerked my hand away. "Hey!"

(There,) Elfangor said, (It is done.)

I stared at my hand. "So I have the power to morph now?" I asked, turning excited eyes back to Elfangor. "I can just touch something and then morph it?"

(Yes.) Elfangor replied solemnly. (But remember,) he went on to caution, (This power is not a toy. You have two hours in morph at the very most. Any more and you will become a _nothlit_. You will be stuck in the body of that animal for the rest of your life.)

I have to admit, I kind of zoned out on his warnings. I'd heard them all before. Maybe not as they applied to me personally, but I'd still heard them. And I was just really excited to try this morphing thing out.

"I'm gonna go find something to morph," I said excitedly then turned to run out of the room. Getting to the door, I remembered the clause that came with my new power and stopped. Turning back to Elfngor, I asked, "I mean, is that okay? Do you mind?"

Elfangro smiled with his eyes, still looking a little sad. (You are so much like your mother.)

That effectively killed what enthusiasm I had. Well not killed it, but delayed it. Elfangor never talked about my mom and I was always curious to know more about her. She'd left when I was really little. I can just vaguely remember blonde hair and a kind smile.

"Really?" I asked, intrigued as I stepped back further into the room. "How?"

(Your mother was such a bright spirit. I can see that in you,) Elfangor answered simply.

"What do you mean by 'bright spirit'?" I asked with my curiosity peaked.

Elfangor seemed to shake himself out of his reverie and was suddenly all business again. (I mean just that. She was a bright spirit. Now if you'll excuse me. I have some work to do.) And with that, he abruptly turned and left the room.

I stared at his retreating form for a long moment as the door closed behind him then went over and plopped myself down on the couch, the strength of my disappointment making it hard to stand. Just when I thought I had been getting through to him, he blocked me out completely. And just when I thought I would actually learn something about my mother, he turned away.

Suddenly, I had never felt so alone.

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TBC?


	8. Interlude: Rachel

Okay and I wanted again to say thank you to all who reviewed including Kumomaru, freak show, Skyflight Erek's Loyalty, The Shang Kudarung, oOKayleeOo, Evance, Atlastme, and Sarah1281.

And to Kumomaru: Thanks for the criticism and I think you might be right. I'll try to get the other Andalites in there some more, but they won't even be seen during this particular chapter. And what exactly seems out of character? I'll fix it if I can in future chapters.

And to freak show: And I lied yet again. To be honest, I don't think I know when you're going to be told how they all became Controllers. The characters just don't seem to want to share that secret. Sorry. It will be sometime in the next three chapters, I'm almost positive. I really need to get Marco to start doing as he's told.

And this is an even shorter than before chapter. Sorry, but it's more a back-story filler chapter.

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(Okay I just have to switch to Rachel's POV during this one chapter. Sorry if it's a little confusing.)

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Interlude: Rachel

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Okay, hi. My name is Rachel and I just want to get one thing straight here before I go any further with this. I am not a dumb person. I'm actually considered rather smart. Yes, I know, I'm blonde, but that really doesn't mean anything, okay? So I'll say it again for the stupid ones out there. I am not a dumb person. I made a couple bad decisions. That was it.

I never should have gone home.

See, after I had left Tobias on that street corner everything went to hell. Oh maybe not at that exact moment, but that was the turning point. I should have probably gone home with him and had his alien friends protect me. But see, I'm just not the kind of person that wants protection. I generally don't need it either so how was I supposed to know any better?

But anyways, back to the moment where I left Tobias behind. We had been talking about trying to save Jake and Cassie from the Yeerks and he had said that he would try to get his alien friends to save them. Now, I don't know if I actually trusted that they would get the job done, but I was smart enough to realize that I couldn't just turn around and go barging back into the Yeerk Pool without any backup. Sure, Tobias was there, but I didn't think he was really much of a fighter. I knew about his little bully problem.

So there I was, knowing that I could do nothing to save my cousin and best friend and I tried to put it out of my mind, you know? I don't like to think about things that I can't change. So I changed the subject and we started talking about getting home. Tobias didn't even know how to get back to his own house, but I guess after being stuck inside for a month he was excused.

Either way, we parted ways, him going home to a pissed off alien father and me going home to a pissed off human mother. I didn't have a watch, but it had to be a least 9 o'clock.

Nothing particularly special happened that night. Mom was waiting for me when I got in and I was effectively grounded for the next two weeks, but that was it. Things only started to get weird the next day at school.

Walking through the school gates and into the school itself, I passed by "Marco" and a friend of his I didn't know acting like regular guys—meaning they were acting like complete idiots—in the hallway and kept going to my locker only to be interrupted by a shout.

"Rachel! Rachel, my biggest fan! How are you?" It was "Marco" and, having said this, he swung an arm over my shoulder and quickly led me over to the side of the school hallway. There his happy and joking facade did a sharp 180 and, pulling me closer, he hissed furiously, "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

Shaking his arm off me irritably, I said, "Going to school, moron. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Are you _insane_?" "Marco" demanded, looking at me like I was crazy. "Do you even know how many people are out to get you?"

"Like I'd let them," I replied somewhat haughtily.

"Marco" obviously couldn't believe I had actually just said that. "Do you even know how powerful the Yeerks are?" he asked incredulously. "How far they're spread throughout this world?"

"Does it matter?" I replied, sure in my own ability to keep myself safe.

"Yes!" "Marco" replied instantly, as though thinking any other way was ridiculous. "I can count over fifteen Controllers in this hallway alone! What do you think they'll do when they figure out that _you_ were one of the Pool escapees from the other day?"

"Well then I just won't tell them," I replied with a hint of 'Duh' to my voice.

"Marco" ignored me; he was too busy listing everything that could go wrong. "And that's not even counting the higher-up Controllers who actually know your face. Chapman could call you into his office at any minute. He just has to realize you're here."

I blinked at this. This was news to me. "Chapman's a Controller?"

"You're not even safe outside school," "Marco" continued, ignoring my question. "They could get the police to come after you. They probably just haven't done that yet because they think they can get you during school and you _stupidly_ fell right into their trap."

Was he saying I was stupid? "Hey!" I protested angrily, but he was still ignoring me. That just made me all the angrier. _Nobody_ ignores me when I'm talking to them. Not if they want to live. But "Marco" was watching the other teens crowding the hallway with suspicious eyes as if whatever I said didn't matter.

"We need to get you out of here," he said quietly, "I didn't stick my neck out for you just so you could stupidly go and get yourself captured again." Then he turned to me to demand, "Why didn't you go home with your friend? The Andalite's kid? The Andalites could have protected you!"

"I don't need to be protected!" I said hotly, already annoyed with him and not needing this additional insult.

"Marco" rolled his eyes at my answer and grabbed me by the upper arm, I assume because he was planning to try to lead me out of the hallway. I immediately shook him off and stepped away. I wasn't going to go peacefully with anybody that thought I was an idiot. Because I wasn't an idiot. Honestly.

"Come _on_," "Marco" said, looking at me impatiently, obviously not understanding why I wasn't already moving on my own or why I had brushed him off. "We need to get going before anybody can figure out who you are."

"Stop treating me like I'm an idiot," I snapped, still annoyed and not willing to do anything he said.

"Then stop _acting_ like an idiot and get moving," "Marco" said, urging me forward.

Still too caught up in my pride, I didn't move. And I looked "Marco" straight on and dared him to do something about this.

So, rolling his eyes again but taking this dare and getting behind me, "Marco" actually started trying to push me bodily down the hallway. I purposely made this as difficult for him as possible, throwing all of my weight into holding him back. I can only imagine the stares we were getting. I was a little busy.

We got a few feet, but eventually he got frustrated and stopped pushing me. "Will you just get going?" he said to my face.

"Fine," I said with as much dignity as I could muster. And so, turning up my nose, I headed in the direction of the school doors. Like I wanted to go to school anyway. True I did need to pass Pre-Calc if I wanted a car, but I think saving myself from infestation took higher priority. But freedom was not to be as one of my teachers saw me heading for the exit and intercepted me.

"And where do you think you're going?" she asked as she got in between freedom and me. "School's just starting."

"I forgot something in my car. I was just gonna run out and get it," I lied easily.

"Well then you're just going to have to do without," she said and then indicated that I should just turn around and get right on to my first class. Obligingly, I turned around and walked back the way I had come.

This was not good. Now turned around and heading again for my locker, I passed by "Marco" and gave him a do-something-already look, but even then I knew there was little he could do. "Marco" palmed his face in irritation and I walked on.

Getting to my locker finally, I went through the motions of getting out my books for class, but I was really just looking for a way to get out of there. Deciding to try one more time, I nonchalantly swung my backpack over my shoulder and walked back in the direction of the doors. Even before I approached I could see that another teacher had taken up a post right in front of the exit. I wouldn't be getting out that way so, pretending I was on my way to class, I walked on by. Time for plan B. The bathroom. I was pretty sure there was a window in there that I could squeeze through if I was determined enough.

And, getting to the bathroom, I ignored the sound of the first bell in order to focus on my escape. There was a window, but it was pretty far off the ground. Thank God I was so tall. There aren't many good things about being tall for a girl and this was one of the few.

Using all my strength, I pushed the window up as far as it would go—which wasn't far as the window got stuck when there was about a 2 1/2-foot gap between the frame and the window—and squeezed my backpack through the small space.

It was at this time that I heard my name over the loudspeaker.

"Could Rachel Berenson come to the Vice Principal's office? Rachel Berenson to the Vice Principal's office."

So they had obviously noticed my absence from class. Well if what "Marco" had said was true and Mr. Chapman was a Controller then there was no way I was going to his office. I turned back to my escape. My backpack was already on the other side of the window so I just set to pulling myself through the crack. This took some effort, but eventually I wiggled my way through and I grabbed up my backpack and quickly left the school premises, slipping through the gate and setting off down the street. I would need clothes and the essentials if I was going to disappear for a while and the only place to get those was at my house.

Bad idea.

I hadn't been at my house for more than fifteen minutes when the doorbell rang. Curious, I had gone down to see who it could be. Peeking out the window, I was somewhat surprised to see that there were two cops at the door. Wondering what they could want, I almost opened the door when something "Marco" had said flittered back into my mind.

"_They could get the police to come after you. They probably just haven't done that yet because they think they can get you during school and you __**stupidly**__ fell right into their trap."_

Shit. They'd come to get me. Running back up the stairs I started to shove my things into my suitcase a little more quickly than before. I needed to get out of the house.

The doorbell rang again and I ran to the bathroom to collect my toothbrush and things. There was the sound of the cops shouting something through the door but I couldn't make out the words.

Another minute passed and there was a loud knock at the door, almost a pounding, as the cops were obviously getting a little impatient. They shouted something else through the door and, grabbing my shampoo, conditioner, and shaving things, I ran back to my room to shove these things in my suitcase. I was almost ready.

Another pounding at the door, the cops only getting more and more impatient and I hastily shut my suitcase, zipping it up and running with it down the stairs.

This time I could understand what they were shouting. "We are prepared to knock this door down if you do not open it in the next few seconds! One!"

Shit. Quickly ripping off a piece of paper from the little notebook by the phone, I started to quickly scribble down a note to my mom.

"Two!"

Almost done. Just a few more seconds.

"Three!" the cop shouted and then there was the sound of the door being kicked down. Mom was going to freak when she saw that. But I couldn't worry about that now. Finished with my note, I grabbed up my suitcase again and quickly escaped out the back door.

"Hey! There she goes!" The cops had obviously seen me. Not good.

Running for the little chain fence at the side of my house that led right back to the front of the house, I raced through this and down my street as fast as I could. Jumping over the bushes in the front yard of one of my neighbors' houses, I cut through the yard and raced around the corner, heading for the major street three blocks away. Once I was there I could cross the street and get lost in the foot traffic.

Finding myself around more people than before, I slowed slightly, but still speed-walked down the main street, turning the corner and trying to get myself completely lost before I could head for Tobias' house. I didn't want to lead the Controllers straight to the Andalite's main base. That would just be stupid.

"Hey! There she is!"

Things had been getting quieter, but, looking up at this cry, I spotted a cop farther up the street with his partner, pointing a finger in my direction. I immediately turned and ran the opposite way, just taking my suitcase and fleeing. I didn't like that I was having to run away—I would rather stay and fight—but I was smart enough to realize it would be better if I ran.

Dodging past the people on the sidewalk, almost running into a lady and her stroller, I raced down the street, turning the corner only to find myself in a mass of people all getting in my way.

"This way!" someone shouted and I saw one of the men in the crowd pointing me out.

Pushing my way through, not caring how rude I was being or who I hit with my suitcase and making it an especial point to knock into the guy pointing me out, I eventually got all the way through and started to run again. Taking the nest left and then a right, eventually the sound of my pursuers quieted and I was alone again. That same crowd that had slowed me down had probably hindered them some.

In the distance there was the sound of police sirens, but I resolutely turned in the opposite direction and walked away from those.

Things calmed down even further the farther away I got. Nobody was following me, but I knew that the cops might have already called in their buddies to look for me so I tried to stay in the crowds. I made my way down to the business district where there were a lot of people and got lost in the crowds at the mall.

I still stuck out though, what with my suitcase in my hand. I tried to think of a way around that, but eventually decided I would just have to deal. I was not starting my life on the run without my things.

Eventually I decided that I had lost the cops and it was safe to head for the meadow, where Tobias had said the house was.

Finding my way to the right address, I looked at the small one-story house and tried to fit that image in with the knowledge that this was the main base for a small team of alien guerrilla fighters. It just didn't seem to mesh well with the peaceful and cozy little house that it seemed to be. But oh well. I wasn't the person to judge.

Gathering together my courage and my sense of rightfulness, I went right up to the door and knocked.

Dressed in casual jeans and a t-shirt, a human man of about 35 answered the door, his dirty blonde hair falling across his forehead. "Yes?" he said.

"Yeah, hi," I said impatiently. "Is Tobias home?"

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TBC


	9. Ch 7: The New Arrival

Again I want to thank all that reviewed including freak show, Skyflight Erek's Loyalty, atlastme, The Shang Kudarung, Kumomaru, and nicole. Thnaks! And I'm sorry for how long this chapter took to get out. I've been having a bad case of writer's block with it. It should be over by now hopefully.

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(Back to Tobias' POV)

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Chapter #7: The New Arrival

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Yeah, hi. Tobias again. Sorry, about that. Rachel stole my notebook and wanted to add her own bit. She's sitting next to me right now and reading this over my shoulder. But back to the story.

I realized after a few minutes of lamenting my situation and feeling sorry for myself that I hadn't brought up Rachel's plan to save Jake and Cassie. I didn't really want to talk to Elfangor again so soon, and I had a feeling Elfangor was feeling the same way, so I decided to put it off for the moment. But the next morning I couldn't put it off any longer.

"Elfangor?" I called, knocking softly on the closed door to Elfangor's study. It was about 10 o'clock in the morning and my tutoring lessons wouldn't start for another hour.

"Come in!" Elfangor called back and I cracked open the door to peek through. Elfangor was at his desk in human form, busy tapping away at the keys of his laptop. I didn't really want to bother him, but I knew I had to. I had a feeling that Rachel had been completely serious when she'd said she would go down into the Yeerk Pool alone to save Jake and Cassie. And I would never be able to live with myself if I let her get killed when I could have easily prevented it.

"Elfangor?" I asked again, trying to quietly get his attention.

"Yes?" Elfangor replied, finally turning away from his laptop to give me his full attention.

"Um . . ." Now just how was I supposed to bring up this subject? "You remember yesterday when we were down in the Yeerk Pool?"

Elfangor just looked at me. Obviously he did remember. I mean, how could he forget? Stupid question. "Yes?"

"Then . . ." Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, I scratched behind my ear and tried to avoid eye contact. "Do you remember the girl in the cage next to me?" Saying this, I quickly glanced at Elfangor's human face to check his expression.

Elfangor just looked mildly curious. "I seem to remember you being out of the cage with all the other escapees by the time we got to that area of the Pool." But here he frowned, the day and the questions this awoke being brought back to mind. "I'm afraid in all the excitement I'd forgotten to ask you about that. Just how did you manage that?"

"Oh, right, um . . ." I knew Elfangor wouldn't like what I said next, but I sucked it up and said, "We were helped by a member of the Yeerk Peace Movement."

Elfangor raised his brow at this, obviously a little surprised. The Andalites still weren't exactly sure what to think of the Peace Movement. "Oh really?" he said.

"Yeah. He unlocked the cages and gave me and Rachel—the, um, girl next to me—a map of the Yeerk Pool exits. That's how we escaped."

"Do you still have it?" Elfangor asked intently, as always thinking of ways to make his fight against the Yeerks more efficient.

I wished I didn't have to let him down. "Um, no," I said, "I, uh, I think Rachel still has it."

But instead of looking disappointed Elfangor just looked curious again. "And who is this Rachel? Why would she, out of all the others in the Pool, be given this map?"

"See that's the thing," I said now that we were finally getting to the real point. "She kind of, um, came in with me." Seeing Elfangor's brow beginning to furrow in confusion, I hurried to explain, "I mean, I didn't just run straight into a Controller and immediately get captured when I went out yesterday. I kind of ran into Rachel first and then tried to run away because I knew I wasn't supposed to let people see me. But then I got hit by a car and then a Controller kidnapped the both of us. We both got away but then we went to the house of one of Rachel's friends. You know, to help with my concussion? But that friend turned out to be a Controller too so we ran and then we, um, got captured again." I slowed down a little, my explanation petering out. "And _that's_ when we were taken to the Yeerk Pool."

"So you had quite the adventure," Elfangor summarized, no expression on his face to show how he felt about this. I didn't imagine he was all too thrilled with it.

"Um, yeah," I said uncomfortably, scratching behind my ear again. "You could say that." I paused then continued, "But the thing is, you know, Rachel?" I looked at Elfangor to make sure he was paying attention. He was. "Well she kind of wants to, you know," I paused again before saying quickly, "save her friend and cousin."

"And are her friend and cousin already Controllers?" Elfangor looked almost considering. Good. I'd hoped he wouldn't just throw out the idea as soon as he'd heard it.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Then I'm sorry, but we can't do anything."

I frowned. What? And here I'd thought he was actually considering it. "Nothing?"

"Once they're Controllers we can't do anything," Elfangor explained. "It would just cause too much trouble. Not to mention, if we liberated one person we would have to liberate them all and we just don't have the space to put all those people."

I still frowned, not liking this. "Then what am I supposed to tell her?"

"_You_ are not to tell her anything," Elfangor said pointedly, giving me a look. "You're supposed to be in hiding. I'll have Maril or Erithin pass along the message."

"Well okay . . ." I said uncertainly, still frowning as I prepared to leave. I'd said what I'd come here for and gotten my answer even if it wasn't an answer I liked. "Then thanks, I guess."

Elfangor gave me a small smile. "Your welcome. I'll see you later."

And with that clear dismissal I left, a little frustrated and upset that we couldn't do anything to help, but not about to protest lest Elfangor get angry. Still now I had the scary knowledge that I would have to find some why to keep Rachel from going down into the Yeerk Pool by herself. Rachel wasn't exactly the type of person you said no to. How was I supposed to keep her safe?

I'd have to think about this.

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Later, I was sitting with Maril in the living room as Maril tried to explain the concept of Z-space to me in terms I could understand. This was my tutoring session and now that it had been decided to give me the power to morph, it seemed that the gate had been opened and so now I was going to be learning all about Andalite sciences and technology. Normally we just learned about alien species and history, maybe some very primitive math. But today, I was learning things that humans wouldn't learn for at least another century or more and it was incredibly confusing. I mean, I'm not a dumb person, but this was a little over my head.

"I don't get it," I said, clearly frustrated with the subject. "_Why_ does Z-space travel go so much faster? How is it different from regular space? It's just space, isn't it?"

Maril shook his head, starting to get a little frustrated with me as well though he was on the whole a very patient teacher. (No,) he said, (Z-space is more than regular space. It's . . .) and then he went off on some long spiel about the technicalities and intricacies of Z-space and zero gravity and zero-mass and all these other things. I understood maybe one out of every five words, but I nodded along like I understood and tried to keep up.

(And so in the event of a collision between two ships in Z-space there would be a mass transversal which would have cataclysmic effects on the individuals on board. For example, in the Andalite year 4508, there was an incident involving the ship of War-Prince Retal-Talimund-Yorli whose ship entered Z-space at point—)

And that's when the doorbell rang, disrupting Maril right in the middle of his spiel. He looked up and at the door, a little startled.

I was also a little confused. None of the Andalites ever rang the doorbell when they came over, so who could this be? Maybe a door-to-door salesman?

But, being that I was still supposed to be in hiding and that Maril was in Andalite form, both of us went to hide in the next room while Elfangor walked out of his study to get the door.

"Yes?" we heard him ask as he opened the door and I peeked my head out from behind the wall to see who was at the door. Elfangor's body was blocking my view but I could still hear the person speak.

"Yeah, hi," the person said impatiently, their voice proving themselves to be young and female, "Is Tobias home?" I recognized that voice.

"Rachel?" I asked, coming out from my hiding place and approaching the door.

"Tobias," Elfangor said warningly, not looking pleased by my actions. I had just given away my existence to a possible Yeerk in his mind.

"It's Rachel," I told him. "I told you about her, remember? She knows."

Rachel just went straight to the point, ignoring my by-play with Elfangor. "Yeah. Hi. Tobias? You were right."

I blinked and turned back to her. "The Yeerks are chasing you?"

At this, Elfangor started to look a little more interested and Rachel nodded, saying, "They tried to get me at school but I climbed out a bathroom window. Only then I went home to get some things and some cops tried to arrest me. But I escaped and came here."

I started to look a little worried. "You didn't lead them here, did you?"

Rachel looked insulted. "Of course not. I went around in circles till I lost them then came here. What do you think I am? Stupid?"

"No. No, of course not," I hurried to assure her, "It's just . . . you know," I said and Rachel nodded as if she understood.

"Would you like to come in?" Elfangor asked, stepping aside to allow Rachel entrance.

"Thank you," Rachel said politely as she entered, put her suitcase down by the end of the couch, and then started to look around the place. I couldn't tell by the look on her face what she thought of it, but it wasn't a look of disgust, it was more one of curiosity. I had to admit the living room we were now all currently in wasn't exactly what I would be expecting from an alien guerrilla force either.

"And you say she knows?" Elfangor asked me quietly as he watched Rachel walk around the room carefully.

I nodded, but felt like I had to explain myself. "We were locked in cages in the Yeerk Pool and she was getting angry. I couldn't not tell her."

"So?" Rachel said, giving up on her examination of the room to turn to Elfangor impatiently. "If this is the house of aliens where are the aliens?"

Elfangor just looked at Rachel for a long moment, as if deciding whether he could trust her or not, then called out, "Maril? You can come out now."

There was a pause and then Maril walked out from behind the wall to show himself in all his glory.

Rachel, for her part, didn't do anything like faint or look scared. Instead she looked fascinated. "That is so cool," she murmured, reaching out to touch but drew her hand back at the last moment. Then she nodded as if satisfied and turned back to Elfangor. "So what are you going to do to protect me from the Yeerks?"

"That we will have to talk about. Maril?" Elfangor said, turning to his subordinate. "Could you possibly go get Erithin and Aximili?"

Maril nodded, an Earth gesture all of the Andalites had picked up and immediately began to morph human.

His tail shlooped into his body first and then his blue fur became spotted with peach patches of human skin that quickly covered his body, leaving him looking like some strange hairless pet dressed in skin tight spandex. His back legs crunched and twisted and then his spine followed suit, twisting his body in a grotesque way so that he was standing up on two feet. Then his front two legs sucked into his chest and his arms gained muscles.

On his feet and hands stubby, black little fingers and toes began to grow and the hooves shifted into hands and feet. Lastly was his head, where his stalk eyes shlooped into his head and his facial bones shifted into more human angles. Ears and nose grew and fat popped out to become lips. Eventually the changes came to a stop and they were left with an average everyday-looking human wearing spandex. He nodded to Elfangor and walked out the door.

All throughout this, Rachel had stayed glued to the spot, watching the changes with wide eyes, looking both disgusted by what she saw and strangely fascinated. When she didn't say anything or even move once Maril was finished and gone I became concerned.

"Rachel?" I asked, coming up to her to touch her lightly on the shoulder.

"What. The hell. Was that?" she asked, annunciating everything very clearly.

"That was morphing," I replied.

"Morphing?" she repeated, most likely remembering that I had mentioned the little fact that Andalites could morph yesterday at the Yeerk Pool. Swallowing a bit, she nodded, but kept her focus on the spot Maril had just recently vacated. "Is it always like that?" she asked, trying hard to not reveal her disgust.

"You mean freaky and disgusting?" I asked in return.

"Yeah," she said.

"Yeah," I answered simply, "but you get used to it."

"Oh, okay," she said, then shook her head as if trying to clear it and looked to Elfangor with narrow eyes. "You're not going to do that too are you?"

Elfangor smiled slightly. "I think that can wait."

Rachel nodded. "Good." And then went to sit down on the couch. "So how long until the rest of your people get here and we can get on with this thing?" she asked, getting right down to business.

I took a seat on her other side and shrugged as Elfangor took a seat in his armchair and said, "It shouldn't be long. Don't worry."

It ended up being a very long fifteen minutes for Maril to come back with Erithin and Aximili in tow, all in human morph.

Erithin stopped as soon as he entered the door. "Who's the girl?"

"This is Rachel," Elfangor said with a nod in her direction. "And she's the reason behind this meeting."

"Don't tell me," Erithin said disdainfully, as he got comfortable on one of the other chairs in the room. "The boy got lonely and decided he had to tell his little girlfriend all about us."

I was too busy blushing at the assumption that Rachel was my girlfriend to say anything back to that, but Rachel glared and said, "I'd be careful just what you say to me before you end up with my foot in your face."

Instead of looking insulted that a lower life form had threatened him, Erithin, if anything, actually looked impressed at that. "Well at least we know that not all Earthlings are as spineless as the brat over there."

At that, I started to glare a bit on my own. "I keep telling you I'm not spineless."

"And I still have yet to see evidence of that fact," was all Erithin said.

Maril sighed at this long-standing argument. "This really isn't the point of the meeting."

I didn't mean to but I ignored Maril to continue with the argument. I finally had the proof to make Erithin shut up with the spineless comments and I was going to use it. "I signed up to fight with you guys, didn't I?" I said, daring Erithin to challenge that.

That immediately caught Maril's attention and he snapped his head in my direction. "You what?"

Erithin just narrowed his eyes at me. "Which I expect is just some pathetic attempt to get Daddy to love you."

"Erithin," Elfangor snapped warningly and Erithin backed down. Elfangor normally allowed Erithin to say what he wanted as there wasn't an Andalite Council to look over them for insubordination, but that remark had been over the line. Erithin didn't look like he regretted it though. He had never really liked me as he apparently saw me as the proof of Elfangor's shame and dishonor. Apparently it would have been a huge thing if anybody on the Andalite home world had known Elfangor had deserted the war and lived as a human. The having a human child bit just made things worse.

Maril was still looking at me in some shock. "You decided to fight with us?" he asked as if he had never expected this.

Somewhat unsure about his response, I just nodded.

"What's that mean?" Rachel asked, probably completely lost by this conversation. She looked at me. "Does that mean you're fighting the Yeerks too?"

I didn't mean to, but I ignored her as well, still worried about Maril's reaction. I hadn't exactly thought about the reactions of the other Andalites when I had made the choice and I didn't want Maril to think I had made the wrong decision. After Aximili, Maril was the one I was closest to. Which reminded me. I turned to see how Aximili was responding to the news that I had joined their little guerrilla group. As usual when with the more senior officers of the group, Aximili had been silent the whole time, but he nodded at me when I turned to look at him and smiled with his eyes, looking a little sad but also a little proud and like he had expected it.

Heartened by the fact that at least one of the group didn't think I was crazy, I turned back to Maril as he asked, "Are you aware of all of what fighting with us will entail?"

"I have been watching you guys for over a month now," I pointed out. "I've seen you after missions."

"Yes, but you don't know exactly what goes on _during_ those missions," Maril said, obviously trying to get me to make my decision. Just like Elfangor had.

I frowned. "You're not changing my mind. This is my planet and I deserve to fight for it."

"Wait," Rachel said, "Tobias?" she asked, turning to me. "Are you really going to start fighting with them?"

Still looking determined, I just nodded.

Rachel actually seemed to think this was a good idea. "How?"

"They gave me the power to morph," I answered.

And at this Rachel turned back to the Andalites. "That's what I want to happen to me. I want to help you fight."

"What?" Maril exclaimed, obviously surprised. "But you can't!"

"And why not?" Rachel said, daring them to answer her. "You're letting Tobias. Why can't I?"

"Tobias has something you do not," Elfangor tried to explain calmly. "He's the son of an Andalite. You . . . You are pure human."

That obviously meant nothing to Rachel. "And? So?"

"The Andalites have a law where they can't give technology to outsiders," I tried to explain quietly, not wanting this to become some huge argument like I could see it easily becoming.

"Well what else are they going to do with me?" Rachel asked rhetorically. "The Yeerks are after me. I can't go home. I can't go outside. And there's no way I'm living in this house for the rest of my life. Either you give me the power to morph or I get infested. And I know the location of your house so me getting infested would not be a good thing for you guys."

The Andalites all looked at each other, the truth of what she was saying uncomfortably clear. There was a long drawn out silence.

Eventually, Elfangor cleared his throat. "We will have to talk about this." He turned to me. "Tobias? Do you think you could take her to your room? Aximili will go with you."

I nodded and stood up, waiting for Rachel to follow my lead.

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TBC

"


	10. Ch 8: Breaking the Law

I wanted to thank fangirlishness.101, Skyflight Erek's Loyalty, freak show, atlastme, oOKayleeOo, Crowded Mind, and The Shang Kudarung for reviewing. Thanks!

And, sorry, but this chapter is a bit shorter than all the others.

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-

Chapter #8: Breaking the Law

-

I closed the door to my room softly and turned to look at the two others that had followed me in. Rachel had taken a seat on the bed, an angry look on her face, while Aximili stood uncertainly to the side as if he wasn't quite sure he was welcome. I sighed and headed for the desk chair that went with the desk that Elfangor had gotten me about halfway through my stay here.

"If you do not, do – dooo, not mind I would like, luh – ayke, to return, re –retur – ur – nuh - nuh, to my regular – ar form –orum, form."

Not used to Aximili's habit of playing with words, Rachel blinked and stared at the alien.

I just nodded. "Yeah, sure. Whatever." But then I said to Rachel, "You may want to turn away."

She did and I did and after a few long moments I asked, "You done yet?"

(Yes. I am finished.)

Rachel and I turned back around to find Aximili in his regular Andalite form.

"That is so cool," Rachel breathed, before looking up into Aximili's main eyes, "And you can turn into anything you want?"

Aximili hesitated before answering. (As long as we have acquired the DNA then we can morph into any other form, yes. But the other form must be a living, breathing, being.)

"And you can do this too?" Rachel asked, turning to me now.

A little embarrassed by her attention, I shrugged uncomfortably and hurried to explain. "Well I haven't exactly acquired anything yet, but I can do it if I want."

"That is so cool," Rachel said again, looking impressed. "I wanna do that."

I shot a glance at her. "You'd have to fight." Somehow I doubted she'd like the foster care option any more than I had.

Rachel obviously didn't care. "So? It's my planet too. I wanna help."

That was almost exactly what I had said and I smiled slightly at the idea that we were on the same page.

"I have to say though," Rachel continued, looking at me, "I didn't expect fighting a war to be something you would choose to do. No offense."

I shrugged, uncomfortable again under her seeming growing respect for me. "Well it was either fight or change my looks completely and go into foster care. And I may not have liked my uncle, but I hear foster care can be even worse."

Rachel nodded in understanding, but looked at me as if she knew there was more to it than that.

Somewhat embarrassed, I ducked my head and admitted, "And, like you said, it's my planet too. It's only right that I help fight for it, you know?"

Rachel smiled then, looking proud of me, and I blushed.

(It is good that you are so willing to fight for your people)

I kind of jumped and looked over at Aximili. It was embarrassing, but I'd kind of forgotten he was there. I cleared my throat uncomfortably and tried not to blush. "Ye - yeah?"

Aximili nodded, smiling with his eyes in that strange way Andalites have. (Yes. I know of many species that would not do as you are doing. They would think of only themselves and run.)

"That's the coward's way out," Rachel said passionately and I turned to blink at her. I hadn't known she felt that strongly about bravery and cowardice. Those qualities weren't exactly something a regular high school student spent much time pondering.

(Yes. Cowardly and dishonorable,) Aximili agreed and I blinked at him too. Running away was exactly what Elfangor had done and Aximili was always going on about how brave and honorable Elfangor was.

"Elfangor ran," I reminded him just in case he'd forgotten.

Aximili frowned with his eyes. (That was different.)

"It was?"

(My brother came back,) Aximili said simply. (He ran away, but he also faced his fears and returned to become a great hero.)

I nodded, accepting that, and we were silent for a moment. In the next room we could hear nothing from the older Andalites, which meant they had all demorphed and were probably directing their thought-voices only to each other. We had no idea how things were going in there. I glanced at Rachel to see her watching the door with a frown, obviously wondering how the discussion was going as well. I frowned and turned to Aximili again.

"Will this happen a lot?" I asked as I nodded at the door, indicating the adult Andalites in the next room and their discussion. "Will we always be pushed to the side and expected to just go along with whatever they decide?"

Here Rachel turned back to the conversation, also interested in the answer.

Aximili frowned again. (They are the superior officers. Why would we be allowed to influence their decisions?)

I copied him and frowned again. "I thought you said they promoted you to Warrior when you all got stranded here."

(Yes, but they are still much more experienced than me. They know things that I do not,) Aximili said.

"So we'll just be expected to sit to the side and let them make the decisions for us?" Rachel asked with a frown, obviously not liking this idea. "No way!"

I nodded. I didn't really like the idea much either.

Aximili seemed confused. (What other way could there be?)

"Well, I dunno," Rachel began sarcastically, "maybe we could try and listen to each other and make a decision _unanimously_?"

Aximili still seemed confused, looking at Rachel as if she was talking crazy. (I'm afraid I do not understand.)

I sighed and waved the topic off, not wanting Rachel to get any angrier or Aximili more confused. "Never mind. Forget we said anything. I'm sure we can talk to Elfangor and see about letting us join the next big discussion."

Rachel frowned, but seemed satisfied with that and nodded. Aximili just looked glad that Rachel and I weren't going to pursue the topic anymore.

And, after that, for a long moment no one spoke until Rachel finally looked at me and said, "Okay, this is boring. Don't you have anything fun to do in here?"

I blinked and tried to think of things we could do. "I have some cards, I think," I answered slowly. "We could play with those."

Aximili visibly brightened. (Yes. You could show me this thing you humans call poker. I hear it is quite tricky.)

Rachel seemed fine with that idea too. "Okay. Then where are they?" she asked. "Let's get them out."

"They're," I suddenly remembered where they were and winced, "They're out in the living room on the coffee table."

There was a pause.

"Well then somebody has to go get them," Rachel said, but made no move to get up from her seat.

Neither Aximili nor I moved either, not wanting to bring Elfangor's wrath down upon us for interrupting the adult's big discussion. "I have some computer games we could play," I offered instead. "We'd have to take turns though."

Rachel frowned again. "What kind of games?"

"Tons," I answered and waved a hand in the direction of my desk shelf full of computer games then shrugged at her look. "I had to do _something_ for that month I couldn't go outside." Elfangor had even bought me the laptop to play them on which was sitting right in front of me on my desk. It was a good computer and I still remember the feeling of shock and awe as he opened that box. My uncle had _never_ done anything like that for me and Elfangor was even paying for all my new clothing and shoes at the same time. He may be absent and unreachable as a father, but he did know how to provide.

"Do you have Tomb Raider?" Rachel asked, narrowing her eyes at me. "The new one?"

"Um . . ." I turned in my desk chair to look up at my many games, searching for Tomb Raider. "Yeah," I finally said and reached up to pluck it out of the line-up. Moving the mouse to get rid of the screensaver on my computer and putting the CD-ROM to the side, I got out of my chair and gestured for Rachel to sit.

Rachel got up from her seat on my bed and sat in the chair, already taking out the CD-ROM from the case and getting the game ready to go. Openly curious, Aximili, moved to stand over her shoulder and watch her play while I plopped my self down on my bed then fell back to stare at the ceiling. I was starting to wonder what would happen to Rachel now that she knew. She obviously would have to stay at Elfangor's house with us, but did that mean I would have to give up my room? And people were probably going to search much harder for Rachel than they had searched for me, plus Rachel would probably miss her family. What were we going to do about that?

I sighed and decided to leave those questions to the adults in the next room and contented myself with my dreams of acquiring something with wings and flying through the sky. I'd always wanted to fly.

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Aximili and Rachel weren't exactly quiet as Rachel played the game and I listened to them fight for a long time as we waited for the adult's to finish.

(No. No. You must go left. Left. Over there.)

"Yeah. Yeah. I see it. I see it. Shut up."

-

(Your life energy is extremely low. Shouldn't you be more worried about your character's immanent death than with fighting these worthless battles?)

"Hey, let me decide what to be worried about. These guys need to go _down_."

-

(Over there. Over there. See right there?)

"Will you stop trying to play the game for me and shut up?"

(I am merely trying to help.)

"Yeah, well, stop trying."

-

(I fear you may lose this battle.)

"Oh no. No big bad boss-man is gonna take _me_ down. I'm gonna win."

(You will die. I am certain of it.)

-

Some of it was actually rather amusing to listen to and I smiled even as I kind of dozed off.

Finally though, the adults seemed to finish their big discussion and they called us all back into the living room. Rachel saved and turned off the game and followed Aximili and me out of the room to sit by me on the couch, looking serious and determined. I was actually kind of afraid of what would happen if the adults had decided to _not_ give Rachel the power to morph. Thankfully that wasn't the case.

(After a long discussion,) Elfangor began formally, (We have come to the conclusion that it is only practical if we were to give you the power to morph.)

"Really?" Rachel asked, her face brightening up with a huge smile.

Elfangor smiled slightly and nodded his head. (Really)

"Yes!" Her glee obviously too much to contain, Rachel spontaneously hugged me, not seeming to realize she'd even done it as she let me go and immediately went on to ask. "Then how do we do this? Do I have to touch something or what?"

Still reeling from the hug, my face had to be bright red.

Elfangor nodded his head at Maril who quickly left the room to return with the blue box in hand.

(You simply touch this and the technology will be yours,) Elfangor said, taking the blue box from Maril and holding it out to Rachel.

Rachel looked suspicious, eyeing the blue box skeptically. "Really? That's it?"

(Yes)

"Well, okay . . ." Reaching out, Rachel put a hand on the blue box and I waited for the moment that she would be shocked by the electrical current. It took a second, but then she was jerking her hand away with a "Hey!" Giving Elfangor a dirty look, she asked, "What the hell was that?"

(That was the Escafil Device changing your DNA to allow you the power to morph," Elfangor answered honestly.

"Really?" Rachel asked, looking down at her hand skeptically. "So I can morph into anything I want now just because that thing shocked me?"

(Precisely)

Rachel smiled and wiggled her fingers. "Cool."

I smiled at that, amused but somewhat sad by the knowledge that now Rachel could never leave. "And I guess I should welcome you to the group. It's a lonely and dead boring life, but you get used it eventually." I shrugged.

Erithin snorted in derision, but I had learned to ignore him.

Rachel just turned her smile at me, her excitement not dimmed in the least. "Tobias, I can morph. I'm gonna be fighting aliens for the freedom of my planet. How am I ever gonna be bored?"

I noticed she didn't say anything about the lonely part and I decided I wasn't going to make any remarks on the excitement of fighting aliens. I'd seen the Andalites after battle enough to know that the fight was not going to be pretty, but I didn't want to dull Rachel's excitement at the moment. I'd leave it up to her to realize that war wasn't pretty or exciting.

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TBC.


End file.
